Flying Ace's
by mkelz21
Summary: Steph works for a small airfield in NJ- Flying Ace's. She is working with Les and the Rangeman crew to plan Ranger's retirement party. Will she find her sole mate or be destined to be single? This is an AU story. A HEA will be there. It is not Cupcake, but you will have to read to find out. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

So I have had this idea in my head for a while now….almost a year since I wrote this first chapter. I think I am finally ready to share some of it. All mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are JE's, I am just playing with them.

Chapter 1: First Week of April

"Flying Aces, how may I help you?" I tried to say in my professional voice. Personally, I thought I sounded like my nasal passages were blocked. My job was not all that impressive, but the perks were what kept me here. I managed the office at a small private airfield between Trenton and Newark. The pay was decent, I owned my own home and I was allowed to fly. Technically I didn't fly the planes myself. I was allowed to sit in on some of the maintenance flights and ride alongside the pilot. In the summer months, we opened on the weekends holding skydiving classes for those adrenaline junkies like me. I did it every chance I could. It didn't hurt since it was free to me as an employee. After three years of training, I was finally allowed to jump by myself. This upcoming season was going to be great.

"Captain Weis, Ma'am." Seriously he called me Ma'am. I am only thirty-one. I am nobody's ma'am.

"One moment please." I quickly hung up the phone and transferred the call to retired Captain John Weis, owner of Flying Aces. It was rare that we received any calls addressing him in his military title. He had a few friends that contacted him, but since retiring from the military ten years ago he left his decorated service life behind choosing to blend in to civilian life and run his company full-time.

I worked my way through my morning routine- updating flight schedules, responding to emails and working on our summer schedule. It was the beginning of April and opening weekend was Memorial Day weekend. While I didn't have the credentials to be part of the instructing crew, I was allowed to assist with the jumps as I wanted to. After working here for seven years and three years of training, I was finally allowed to jump by myself. It took four years before Captain even allowed me to take the necessary certifications and training. He finally conceded when I would not back down from the subject. I think he forced more training than necessary because he was worried if anything happened my father would be over protective of his baby girl.

It was Wednesday, halfway through the week. Our weekly staff meeting was this afternoon. I pulled together my notes and headed to lunch. It was never a good idea to sit through a meeting on an empty stomach. I learned my lesson the hard way. My stomach is rather vocal when it is hungry. I embarrassed myself on day three of my employment when it let its presence known because I skipped lunch to shop instead of eat. I have never lived it down to this day. Their favorite line is to tell me to feed the beast.

We worked our way through the usual meeting topics. I started to fill John in on where I was for our skydiving schedule when he interrupted.

"As you know, we typically have the season start Memorial Day weekend. We need to have all supplies and equipment tested and ready by the second weekend in May. We have received a special request to rent out our facility from Friday night till Saturday late afternoon. Some former men I trained are retiring and are throwing themselves one hell of a party to celebrate. They made an offer I couldn't refuse. They obviously have more extensive training and are perfectly capable to fly and jump themselves- which they may end up doing."

"Wait, what do you mean? You are just going to turn over everything to them?" I was confused and nervous. If something went wrong, would our business insurance cover it? He must be losing his mind, letting old men have their way. This must some sort of midlife crisis. We were just going to shut down all our other business and make room for them to have the planes, buildings and grounds to use as their own personal playground for what gain to us?

"Relax Stephanie. The men are highly decorated, newly retired military men. Before you jump to more conclusions, they are young men in their late 20's to mid 30's pretty close in age to you. They were some of the finest young men I had the opportunity of training in my years in the service. They are fully insured by their own company. They work for a company called RangeMan. It has been operating for a few years in Miami and Boston. They recently opened a branch in Trenton as part of their retirement. They worked special ops for the government receiving payments with so many zeros you would think it wasn't true. I don't know why I feel the need to defend my decisions to you. Just know they are paying greatly to use our facility and I am returning a favor I owed them. Just make sure you have everything lined up. I have passed your contact information along to Lester Santos. He is in charge of planning this. He will be in touch within the week."

I knew the end of a discussion when I heard it. I was lead point on this and anything that needed to be done I would do it. We continued the meeting, reviewing any other pressing matters with the rest of the staff.

I worked my way through the emails and notes left from the overnight staff on Thursday morning. I finally couldn't put off my call to a Mr. Lester Santos any longer. I had an image of the type of person and group I would be dealing with for this- cocky, arrogant jerks. Considering the length of their stay and amount they were paying, I had a feeling they were more trust fund babies than actual career military men like Captain. It was more a career choice to look good on a resume for a future Senator than the drive behind serving our country and keeping us safe.

"RangeMan." The phone was answered with a blunt response, almost as if the person one had a limited word choice available to him.

"Mr. Santos please." Silence before I heard the static beep of being placed on hold.

"Santos." Again the phone was answered with such a blunt response. Did they not teach phone skills to our soldiers?

"Hi Mr. Santos, this is Stephanie Plum from Flying Aces. I will be working with you to coordinate the use of our facility. I just have a few questions, if you have some time to talk."

"Yes, ma'am." Ugh, enough with the ma'am crap.

"Please, just Stephanie."

"Ok Mrs. Plum, let me grab my notes of what I was thinking and we can compare." He replied back with this stern business tone. I was unsure if this was going to be a pleasant outing or just another run of the mill business meeting he was in.

"Please, just Stephanie or Steph. I am not a Mrs. either way and that just reminds me of my mother, may she rest in peace, but we were complete opposites." I stopped myself before I continued to rattle off to a complete stranger. I loved my mother dearly and missed her, but she was Mrs. Plum. I hated with the formalities, I was Stephanie. I didn't like anything extra added to it just to make myself sound better.

"Sorry Stephanie, I am ready if you are and if you don't mind just call me Les. Mr. Santos is my father." At least he seemed to have a sense of humor and open mind. We talked for over an hour about what he wanted to see and what we were capable of. I think I may have misjudged this Lester Santos and RangeMan. I would have to do a little more research before our next meeting.

Our little 10-seater plan and its weight limit was not up to par. They would be providing their own plan and storing it with us moving forward. All the guys also had their own gear and there were enough licensed pilots among them to use. There would be anywhere between 10-15 people at any one time. They could all not fully leave the office, but they were bringing in temporary labor and rotating out shifts so most of the guys could participate. Our staffing needs would be minimal and really only there to sit by and idly watch.

I learned from Les that they were all mostly in the Special Forces, mainly Army Rangers. Slowly they had all retired from active service in the last two year. Some were still in the reserves and helping out with training future Rangers. They were finally throwing a party to celebrate because the owner, Ranger, was the last to retire and it would be official at the end of this month. Apparently when they celebrated, they did it big and wanted to mark the occasions with a weekend to remember. After they left us, they were headed to Ranger's private residence that sat on 50 acres of wooded land. They would continue to do their manly activities like camping, drinking and paintballing. Men!

"Les, I will see you next week. Like I said, we have a storage area you guys can bring in your gear early to save less time unpacking the day of. I am sure Captain won't mind. I will have him call you about which hanger your plane will be stored in permanently and how soon it can be moved here."

"Sounds like a plan Beautiful, see you next week." Click and he was gone. I guess his manners relaxed more as the phone call went on, but Beautiful, could he come up with a cheesier line. Surely this Lester Santos was a player.

I worked the rest of the week, following my usual routine- week night by myself, shopping and yard work over the weekend. My standing Saturday night date was my dad. My mom passed away ten years ago just after I started college. I would go home to check on my dad over the weekends then and it just stuck over the years. It became a tradition that we had dinner together on Saturday nights. One of us may cook or we went out more times than not. If I had something heavy and manly to do at my house, he would come over and help. On those occasions we would stay at my house and cook dinner. My dad had become quite the cook over the years and he was slowly teaching me all the secrets. My older sister Val lived about an hour away, he would spend Sunday with them. Every couple of months we would all get together at my parent's house. It was always a production with my three nieces, but my dad loved it so we did it to make him happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read so far and reviewing. I have it halfway written and slowly working on it. It is hard to find quiet time with a 15 month old running around. I am going to try for weekly updates. I am torn between a Babe HEA or a Merry Men one. I am trying my hardest to make it the latter, but a BABE HEA won't escape me. I do not own them- JE does. I am just doing this for fun. All mistakes are my own as there is no beta.

Chapter 2: Second week of April- 4 weeks till event

I was running late Tuesday morning and threw my hair back in a ponytail and pulled on some khakis and polo. Not my best look, but we didn't have too many clients come in and I could hide in my office if absolutely necessary.

I got up to refill my coffee and overheard someone ask for me at the front desk down the hall. I hurried back over to my office and flipped my monitor to the camera feed at the front desk. I choked on my coffee as I took in the three men that appeared on camera.

The one standing front and center asking for me had tan rich caramel color skin and short black spiked hair. His smile would have any woman eating out of his hands. He was dressed in a black t-shirt that was stretched tight across his chest and biceps. There were two black men standing at attention behind him, one taller and one shorter than the first man. They were both just as well built and wearing identical black shirts. The taller man to the right was bald while the man to left looked like he had his black hair in corn rows. I was thankful I had the privacy of my own office to admire the view. Hopefully, I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself. My phone started ringing, bringing my out of my thoughts and dreaming about what I would do with a man like that in my bed.

" Hey Steph, there is a Lester Santos from RangeMan here to see you." Molly our receptionist stuttered through her words.

_Shit, there was no way I could meet them looking like this. I didn't even have any makeup on. _

"I will be up in a minute." I grabbed my purse and did my best with what I had. There wasn't anything I could do about my ill-fitting clothes. This is why people shouldn't just show up, make appointments ahead of time.

I walked up to the counter and took a deep breathe; _don't make a fool of yourself Plum_. "Hello Les, it's a pleasure to meet you." I pulled out my best 'Burg manners drilled into me over the years by my mother, "Please follow me to the conference room and we can talk." We made our way down the hall and filed into the room.

"Sorry to drop in unannounced Steph, I know you must be busy. We were in the area doing surveillance on a FTA and decided to stop by. My partners Tank and Bobby wanted to meet you. We all work together and they will be helping getting everything ready."

"It's nice to meet you guys. We can take a tour of the grounds and discuss any questions or concerns after." I wouldn't mind showing these guys anywhere, preferably a bar on a Saturday night especially if he keeps smiling at me like that.

We walked the grounds and finalized a tentative schedule for the two days. They decided they wanted to have someone to cater and provide food for everyone, luckily I had a recommendation. My friend Lula owned a small restaurant and catering company. I told them I would see if she was available and set up a meeting.

I vowed that no matter how late I was for work until this event was behind me, I would never be late for work again. If these three were any indication of what the rest of the staff looked like, I was going to look my best.

I spent Wednesday morning preparing for our staff meeting in the afternoon and trying to find out more about RangeMan on the internet. They had a website, but it didn't give much away. There was a log in portal for clients, but to potential clients other than contact generic contact information to inquire for services it was rather unimpressive by today's standards. There were locations for Miami and Boston besides Trenton- their newest addition. I tried searching each state's on-line directories for registered companies only to come up short. Whatever name theses offices were registered under was well hidden. I usually was able to find out anything I wanted on the internet. It helped sometimes with the clients we had. Captain even refused a few clients based on what I found out. I know he wasn't going to change anything, but I was desperate to know more. I found a few newspaper blurbs from Miami about donations made to some youth charities by a Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Searches on him turned up even less besides a police report from Nevada for carrying charges. I tried searching Lester Santos with no results either. I didn't have Tank or Bobby's last names, so I gave up. If my grandma was still alive, I know her friends at the beauty parlor would be able to get some dirt for me. They were better than the internet.

On Thursday, I headed to Lula's for lunch. She mainly cooked the soul food classics and her small diner was well known in the area, but the special today was meatball subs and I rarely missed lunch that day.

"Hey white girl, your sandwich will be out in a few." Lula hollered across the room to me as I took my seat at my favorite booth after helping myself to a large Coke.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" I questioned Lula as she sat down to join me. I always came after the lunch rush, so we could sit and talk.

"Hell no, I still think it is funny that day your ass stopped for directions. You will forever be the white girl lost in the ghetto. You're lucky I was outside that day. Some lil' hoodlum pro'ly jumped yo ass if it wasn't for me."

"And I will forever be grateful that you make a killer meatball sub." I smiled back and continued on. That chance meeting five years ago turned out to create one of the best friendships I had. At the time Lula was cooking out of a food truck. She has come a long way and worked hard open her own diner.

"I have a favor to ask of you." Lula nodded to continue as she bit into her chicken leg. "I am working with a group of guys that are having a retirement party at my work. They need someone to provide 3 meals. I suggested your company. They said they would send a menu and for you to let them know pricing. I guess the Boss is a real jackass when it comes to food. Nothing fried, no sugar or processed food. It will need to be sandwiches and salads for lunch and dinner and breakfast. Can you do it?"

"Depends," she paused. I never knew with Lula what I was going to get. "What do these retires look like? Are they easy on the eyes or do they have old saggy butts and ..."

"No." I cut Lula off before she finished that thought. "Ex-military men, all about my age."

"I am in. I would do it for free if I get to see them all with their shirts off." I rolled my eyes at Lula, she was a sucker for eye candy. Who am I kidding? I would work that day too for free if I got to spend time watching the guys...even with their shirts on. Lula agreed to get me something in the morning to send to Les. It was the last of the major planning that needed to be finalized.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews and favorites. I know the last update was short, but something is better than nothing. I have finally decided on the HEA, but you guys won't find out for a few more chapters who it is between and the decision. All mistakes are mine and any recognizable characters are JE's. I am just having a little bit of fun with them.

Chapter 3: Still the second week of April- 4 weeks till event

Friday morning I sent Les the email from Lula outlining menu and costs. Around lunch time, my phone rang."Hello, this is Stephanie."

"Hey Beautiful, it's Les. I was going to head your way after my shift. I have the down payment for Lula if your around I can get it to you today."

"Depends on the time, I will be out of here by 4." I never stayed past 4 on a Friday, not that I currently had a social life.

"How about we meet at 7? We could meet for drinks or dinner ." Crap, awkward. He was great to look at, but he reminded me more of a brother not to mention he probably was huge player. I couldn't turn him down without making the next month awkward.

"Sure if you don't have other plans. How about Champ's on Fuller? There is a Ranger's game on tonight." At least I could watch the game and have a few beers. It wouldn't be as much pressure as dining in a stuffy restaurant full of couples on a Friday night.

"I know the place. We picked up a skip there once. See you at 7." Click and he was gone. I was going to have to rush home and prepare for my non-date date or was it a date? Why were the things that should be so simple, so complicated?

I rushed home as soon as the clock hit 4 and I was in the tub soaking by 4:23. I set my phone alarm for 27 minutes, giving myself plenty of time to shower, shave, and lotion. I don't know why I was going through so much effort. I have done this time and time again, but I never make it past a handful of dates with anyone. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me.

My first real relationship was in college. I was working at a restaurant waiting tables when I started dating Ben. He was my age and worked in the kitchen. We dated for almost a year. Our 'dates' more often than not consisted of hanging at his house or my dorm after our late night shifts. I ended up losing my virginity to him. Not that he was the one or I had any deep feelings for him, I just wanted to get it out of the way. I thought since I worked with him for a few months before we dated, I knew him better. I ended up being so wrong. He was more or less using me to cover with his family that he preferred a male partner. My mom died shortly after our relationship ended. I had a few other guys I dated in college, but nothing ever got more serious than a couple months of dating.

After graduating college, I reconnected with Joe Morelli. We had gone to high school together and grew up in the same neighborhood. He ended up being a better match for my sister and they were happily married with two girls. I am glad I never did the deed with him since he was now my brother-in-law. That would have been a bit awkward. I messed around with the online dating scene over the last few years, more blind dates than anyone should torture themselves with and I was still single.

In the back of my mind, I would always think my parents and how they met. My mom told how she knew he was the one. She worked as a cashier part-time at the local grocery store. Every once in a while she would get this tingling sensation in the back of her neck. After a few months she realized it happened every time the same guy came through her line. My parents fell madly in love immediately and here happily married till she passed. She said when she figured out what was going on, it was her sign that she met her soul mate. I was determined to find my soul mate like she had and I wasn't going to settle for anything less- even if it meant using my shower massager for a different purpose than originally designed for. I would date a guy a few times, but I always cut if off before it got serious. I liked the attention, but I knew they weren't the one for me because I didn't get the feeling my mom described.

As I finished my hair and makeup, I turned off my twisted brain and ran through clothing options for tonight. I knew Les wasn't going to be the one since I have already met with him several times and haven't felt anything. I wouldn't mind going out with him though. He was great to look at and funny. There were worst ways I could spend my time. I didn't want to pick out something that screamed date, but I didn't want to look like I just came from work. I settled on a pair of skinny jeans, fitted button up shirt that showed a bit of cleavage and my Sperrys. I figured if I wore heels it would make it too flirty for our plans. Besides if I drank too much, I would be able to walk much easier in flats.

I head out and arrived at Champ's a little after seven. I spotted Les and admired the view from behind as I approached the table. He was wearing a dark green t-shirt that was stretched tight across his broad muscular shoulders. I could see the brief outline of muscles I didn't even know existed, let alone there exercises for to create definition.

"Is this seat taken?" I jokingly asked as I sat down across from him making sure I still had a view of the game on the flat screen.

"Hey Beautiful. I was beginning to think you stood me up." Les took a long pull from his beer and signaled for our waitress to come over. "I wasn't sure what you wanted to drink, get whatever you want. First round is on me."

I ordered a beer and a few appetizers to share. Conversation was keep light and easy. I was mostly educating Les on the Ranger's game that was on tonight since he was not a big hockey fan.

"Before I forget, here is the catering contract from Lula. She just needs it signed along with the money at least a week before the event. Her address is on the paper so you can just mail it to her." Les pulled out his wallet and passed me a check as he signed the paper. He didn't even read it over or hesitate. "Don't you want to read it first?" I questioned him.

"Nope, I trust you. I am sure it will be fine. Now that business is out of the way, tell me something about yourself." We were both onto our second beers at this point and digging into the food.

"There's lots to tell, why don't you be a little more direct and ask me what you really want to know?" I grinned back at him. Beer always helped me loosen up.

"Aw Beautiful, let's start with the important one- single, taken, widowed, divorced. This is all research by the way- for a friend." He flashed his dazzling smile at me.

"Single, never married, no kids and who is this friend?"

"Tall, good looking, built man with the most amazing green eyes you have ever seen."

"You think very highly of yourself don't you?" I quipped right back at him.

"I try and haven't had any complaints yet. If I am being completely honest with you, I don't know. I feel like I have met you before or something. You feel like an old friend. We are going to be seeing or hearing a lot from each other the next couple of weeks, I figure we should get to know each other a little better." Wow, I wasn't expecting that response from him. I don't know if I should be embarrassed or relived that he won't be trying to get in my pants.

"Fair enough, but I want to know about you too. It is only fair." I picked up my fresh beer, number 3 on its way down and the game isn't even to the second period.

"Single, never married, no kids that I know of yet."

"What does RangeMan do?" I wanted to know why it was such a secret that I couldn't even Google it.

"Security." Great he is back to short, choppy answers.

I gave him my best 'Burg eye roll. It was one trait I was thankful for picking up while growing up. "I know that, but what does that entail? Alarm systems, body guards, what exactly? I can dig up dirt on just about anyone I have ever tried except RangeMan. I think it is a bigger secret than how much gold is actually in Fort Knox."

"Relax we like to, or should I say Ranger the owner, likes to keep a low profile. We get most of our clients by referrals. We offer a range of services from home security systems, personal protection and bounty hunting. We are working on building up the client base in Trenton and Newark. We have a few other offices around the country, which I am sure you were able to find out from the internet."

"Bounty hunting, really? I have a cousin who owns a bond's office in Trenton- Vincent Plum or Vinnie. Do you guys do any work for him?" Les stared at me with the most disturbed look on his face.

"Seriously, you're related to that. We haven't done anything with him yet. He has a reputation that precedes him and Ranger decided to partner with other bonds shops in town."

"That he does, I don't blame you. He has a tendency to bail anyone and everyone out. Usually he gets the ones turned down elsewhere. You may want to talk to him. He might have some good opportunities for you even if he likes ducks a little more than the average person." I tried to hold back my laugh, but I couldn't.

"So it is true." Les forced out between laughs too.

"Why do you guys have such an extravagant weekend planned? Haven't you gotten your fix enough in the military, you still feel the urge to jump out of planes."

"We are all adrenaline junkies. I never thought I would see the day when Ranger would finally retire. We were oversees a few years back and I told him that when he finally retired I would throw him the mother of all parties to celebrate. I figured he would stay on a few more years, but he decided to fully focus on his business. He had to give it up to make his dream a reality. So hopefully after the weekend I have planned, it will have exceeded what I promised him that day."

We kept chatting back and forth about anything and everything. The night was a bust as the Ranger's lost the playoff game and any hopes of making it to the finals this season. Better luck next year. We were walking to our cars when I got the urge to ask Les one final question.

"Can I jump with you guys?" Les looked at me stunned for a minute or maybe that face was his offended look. I couldn't tell or read his face very well to begin with, so I kept rambling on. "I know it is your party, plane and everything. I would die to be able to jump at least once. Captain doesn't do night jumps, something about insurance policies or something. I would love to be able to do it at least once in my lifetime. I could cross it off my bucket list."

Les stood silent for a minute. I was still unable to read his face. I turned to get in my car when he finally spoke up. "I will have to clear it with Ranger, but I'll can see what I can do Beautiful. Ok?"

"Ok, thanks Les. I had a good time tonight. I will call you next week on the contracts for permanent storage." He nodded and I climbed in my car and headed out.

I stretched out in bed when I got home and tried to calm my head down from all the thoughts running around. Les had some great stories to tell and he was a great listener too. I felt the same connection he was talking about. He felt like a long lost friend. From the way it sounded all of his guys were in peak condition and it would not be a hassle, but more of a pleasure to do business with them. I was reeling with excitement at the possibility of being able to do a night jump. I had researched to no end some other place that I could go. There was nowhere within a 500 mile radius that offered night jumps.

Saturday afternoon my dad came over and we worked on cleaning up the landscaping in the front of my house. We worked through the day and finally called it quits around seven. My dad threw a couple of steaks on the grill and we opened a few beers as a reward for our work today. As usual per lately, my dad started in on my lacking love life, trying to give me some advice. I loved him, but what did a man his age know about dating in 2014?

"Pumpkin, I know what your mom told you. If you don't try and open yourself up, you are going to spend the best years of your life alone. I want you to be happy and have someone to come home to at night. You have taken care of me for years since your mom passed. It is time to let go a bit and spend a little more time on you. Open yourself up." I played with the label on my bottle while my dad gave me the same speech with different words that he does ever few weeks. I knew he was right, but I was hung up on my mom's story of finding her soul mate. I was sure I could find mine.

"For the record, I had a date last night. It went good. We have plans to get together next week." So I was stretching the truth a bit, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. I dad nodded his head and moved on to the important topic- where the Ranger's went wrong in their last game.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews. So it seems that Les is out of the running…hope you guys enjoy this one. All mistakes are still mine and I sadly don't own any of them, just borrowing from JE.

Chapter 4- Third week of April- 3 weeks until the event

I lounged around Sunday morning following my usual routine, sweatpants and coffee till I emptied the pot. After that I head out to run errands or shopping for the week. Sunday was the only day of the week I ignored any calls and spent it doing only on what I wanted to do. On occasion, I was known to never leave the couch or my sweats all day. Today was not one of those days. I had a few places to go and left the house by eleven.

I made quick work of my lists and got home just before two. I opened the garage door and pulled my car in. I reached to open my car door when I noticed the door to the house was slightly open. My heart skipped a few beats and I could feel my pulse quicken. I was meticulous about making sure all my doors were closed and locked when I left the house or even when I was home alone. My mom was the victim of a home invasion. She was home alone and making dinner in the kitchen. A couple of drunken guys decided they need more booze, but were out of cash. They hit a few other houses before they got to my parents. It was the afternoon, so my dad was still at work. They attacked my mom with a few hits to the head. She was caught completely off guard and had no way to defend herself. She died a few weeks later with a ruptured blood vessel in the brain. The doctors couldn't say for certain that the attack lead to her death or it was just a one in a million odds. Either way she was taken from us too soon. I was a bit compulsive about keeping my doors locked ever since.

I quickly backed out of my driveway and parked a few houses down on the street. I took a few deep breaths trying to calm my nerves and get myself under control. This was the first time since I had been living in this house that it happened. The last time it happened in my apartment after graduation, my dad came over to double check everything. He hovered over me for two weeks after to make sure I was okay. I didn't want to worry him any more than he already did about me, but I didn't really have anyone else to call. Val and her family were over an hour away. I know Joe would come, but then again I didn't want to worry them either. The odds were that no one was inside, however I couldn't bring myself to go back and get out of the car. At some point my hand started to dial a number on its own.

"Yo." I heard some laughter and a few other voices in the background. My brain still wasn't fully functioning and coordinated enough with my mouth to produce any words. "Hey Steph, are you there?" I heard a few voices again in the background that sounded like Les was being harassed by someone else.

"Can you help me?" I stammered out.

Lester's POV

Sunday was my day off. I headed over to Woody's house to watch the Yankee's game with Bobby. My cell phone rang not too long after the game started. I glanced down at the number, surprised to see who it was and picked it up.

"Yo." I could hear some heavy breathing and my mind began to run through a list of scenarios- all negative- that Steph could be in. I had already had 2 beers and was cursing myself if it was a worst case scenario. "Hey Steph, are you there?" I spoke again hoping I could get her attention.

"Can you help me?" She asked me when she finally spoke. I stood quickly and grabbed the remote flipping off the tv so I could concentrate on what was going on with her. I heard the guys ribbing me, but I was in full work mode now.

"Sure beautiful, tell me where you are?" I flashed a sign towards Bobby and Woody and hustled out to Bobby's SUV. I punched the address in the GPS and we were on our way. "We'll be there in 18, can you tell me what's wrong?" I wanted to get as much information out of her as possible, so we were prepared when we got there. If it seemed bad enough I would call for more backup.

"I….I…" I heard her breathing on the other end of the line. I wanted desperately to know what had her so upset. "I got home and my door in the garage was open. I know this sounds stupid, but I can't get myself to go inside. I…." I mouthed to Bobby that we had a possible break-in with suspect still inside. I did a search on her at RangeMan already. It was a bad habit we had. I knew her history and assumed that what was causing the breakdown right now.

"Stay outside, we will be there soon. I am going to hang up now. We are only a few minutes out."

I heard her mumble thanks before she disconnected.

"Where's the fire?" Woody questioned me as I checked my weapons and he armed himself with the supply that was in Bobby's RangeMan SUV. He knew this wasn't a work related call, no one else received the alert text.

"A friend called and needs some help. She came home to find her door open. She sounded bad on the phone. We will sweep the house and give her an all clear. I don't want to embarrass her, but it is Steph from Captain's company. She is working with me to set up the party."

I noticed Bobby had a smirk on his face as he pulled up to her driveway. He knew we were out together the other night. He assumes I slept with her and doesn't know the full extent of our new friendship. I was usually one to kiss and tell the whole world or at least everyone at the office would know of my conquests. I liked keeping her to myself even if I never got to first base.

He jumped out of the car. I looked around and didn't see Steph anywhere or any cars close by. We quickly came up with a plan. I would stand outside in case any one came running. Bobby and Woody would sweep the interior. They headed in as I swept the exterior quickly and watched all the windows. Bobby radioed back that they were now upstairs and still everything seemed in place.

Steph's POV:

I sat in my car waiting for Les to show up. He kept saying _WE_ on the phone, but I was hoping he was coming alone. I crossed my fingers and said a prayer that he didn't put in a call to his office to have a team come out. I would never be able to live down the embarrassment. As much as we will be seeing each other in a work setting, I didn't want to be plagued with that stigma.

I kept looking down the road for Les to pull up. I was a few houses down, so he probably would think I left. I noticed an obnoxious sized SUV barreling down the road and screech to a halt in my driveway. _So much for not making a scene._ Two guys jumped out with Les. I recognize one from the office and a new guy. He was dressed in boot cut jeans that hugged his body just right, a flannel button up and a Yankee's hat. He was also wearing cowboy boots. Les and Bobby were also dressed down compared to their black work uniforms I saw them wearing the other day. Les stayed outside as the other two headed in. I guess they were not waiting to talk to me.

I got out of my car and started walking towards Les standing in my driveway. He turned around as I approached even though I am sure I didn't make a sound for him to even hear me coming.

"Hey Beautiful, the guys should be out in a minute." He pulled me to him and slung his arm around my shoulder. It was oddly comforting and I started to relax after what felt like hours of tension and stress. I nodded not really sure what to say to him at this point. Les kept his arm across me and gave me reassuring squeezes until we saw the guys walk out of the garage.

Bobby and his sidekick walked down the driveway with their blank faces in place. The relaxing atmosphere Les had created was now gone and their body language was screaming something was wrong. They stopped and spoke directly to Les, not putting any of their focus on me or my rattled state.

"All clear, nothing out of place and all exit points are secure. We believe the door didn't close properly. The locking mechanism is worn out and could attribute for the unsecured exit in addition to human error." They delivered the facts and conclusions with such efficiency. They were not fazed and almost let down there was nothing more exciting to report. They stared at each other as almost finishing the rest of the conversation silently between them. The two of them left and Les turned to face me.

"How about we head inside, watch the game, talk or show me your bedroom till the guys get back?" Les- ever the smooth player suggested. I laughed at his attempt again to try and calm my nerves. He grabbed my hand and we headed inside.

We headed straight for the living room. Les plopped down on the sofa, turned on the game and I joined him after grabbing a beer for myself from the fridge. It would help my nerves settle a little more.

"Thanks for coming. I hope I didn't ruin your day. I don't know why I let something so little like that get me worked up." I was hoping he didn't push for too many details.

"No worries Beautiful. Do you want to talk about it? From my experience it helps. The guys will be back in a bit with a new lock for your door." Les stared at me and I couldn't say no to his eyes.

I went on to tell him too much personal history about myself and what happened to my mom. He listened intently to every word I said. He surprised me with what he had to say when I finished.

"I can help you out if you want. We can put in a security system. Or if you want I can teach you some self-defense moves or teach you how to shot a gun." My eyes bugged out at the last statement before he continued, "Slow down, I don't think you will ever need it, but it won't hurt to be trained if not for just your own peace of mind. Now, I think you owe me one of those beers since it is my day off. I am going to order us some pizzas. It is only the third inning and I am going to be here for a while."

"I think I can manage that since you helped me out today."

The guys got back and replaced the lock not only in my garage, but the front and back doors as well. We ordered pizzas and watched the game. I learned the sidekick's name was Woody and he grew up on a ranch in Texas. He was incredibly charming and between his accent and the other two's charming ways, I somehow agreed to come to RangeMan on Tuesday night for my first gun lesson.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I am still blown away by all the reviews, favs and views. Especially when it comes from somebody whose stories I have read and think they are talented and wish I could be as good as them. So thank you! I haven't been writing as much lately due to RL. Grandma has the lil guy today, so I can disinfect my house from this stomach bug we all shared! Yeah! So I cleaned quickly to spend a little bit of time on this. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 5- Still third week of April- 3 weeks until the event

I worked most of the day Monday and Tuesday on finishing the contracts up for RangeMan to store their plane at our air field. Major points of the contract had to be reworked with our lawyers and theirs for the security measures we take and what access they were allowed to our facility. Since Captain knew all the guys, he was not concerned about giving them full access to our property to use at any time. After I saw the dollar amount being negotiated we would be adding a significant amount of revenue. I could understand now why Captain was agreeing to all of this.

As Tuesday wore on I was beginning to second guess my decision to agree to gun lessons. I really didn't want to have a gun in my home. I had already sent Les an email that I would have the copies of the contract with me to get signed by the boss himself, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, according to the signature page. I stopped home for a quick change and to freshen up. There is a large possibility that the men to women ratio tonight was highly in my favor, so I was going to make sure I was prepared.

I pulled up to the gated garage entrance like Les had told me to do. I rolled my down the window and reached to press the intercom button. I guess there where eyes on me already because a deep voice rang out from the speaker before I could even push the button.

"Name and business." He barked the order as if he had some control or authority over me. If I was to take a guess I would say similar to a drill sergeant.

"Stephanie Plum, I am here to meet with Lester Santos. I am from Flying Ace's." It wasn't a full lie, part of the trip was business related.

"Pull in and park in guest spot #2 to your right. The elevator is waiting, step inside."

"Thanks." I replied, but the static noise was gone and I went unheard. I followed my orders and stepped inside the elevator. I jumped slightly when it moved because there was not a panel to push any bottoms and no one else was with me. I felt a little off, but I couldn't tell if it was nervous energy or I was scared. I didn't know what to expect once I got off the elevator. The doors opened within seconds and I was greeted by another muscular man, dressed in black with a buzz cut. His blue eyes were enough for me to follow him or do whatever he said. I rubbed my neck again, trying to shake this weird feeling that was settling over me.

"Les will be out in a minute, follow me to the conference room Ms. Plum." My beach boy escort instructed.

"Please, call me Steph." He nodded and started walking.

I tried to casually glance around the room as I followed him. There was a bank of monitors along one wall with several people watching them. Several closed door offices and cubicles made up the rest of the floor. I noticed a few stares from some of the other guys on the floor like they have never seen a woman before. Beach boy opened a door and pointed for me to go inside.

"Refreshments are on the side table, help yourself." I looked and turned back to thank him, but he was gone. I wonder what was with the disappearing act. I sat somewhat patiently waiting for Les. The silence in this place could drive someone crazy. The door opened and startled me from my thoughts about what I could do with beach boy and the cowboy I met on Sunday.

"Hey Beautiful, sorry to keep you waiting. I hope Zero was nice. Some of the guys around here don't know how to lighten up."

"He was fine and at least he has a name now. I was calling him beach boy." I smiled at Les. He laughed.

"Let's take care of business first and they when can cover tonight's fun activities- range practice." I rolled my eyes. Some people have twisted ideas for fun. Les took copies of the contract to pass along to Ricardo or Ranger as Les referred to him every time I spoke his name. He had to leave before Les could tell him I was here.

We headed out and across the room and back down the elevator. Les kept his arm across my shoulder teasing me about how much fun it was going to be and I would owe him later for this experience. We walked across the parking garage. I was even more confused. Les punched a code and swiped a card across the keypad outside of a door. The locks popped and Les opened the door.

"Ladies first." He said as he stepped back and let me go inside.

The room was pitch black when I stepped in. I didn't move more than three feet inside the door. I was slightly scared I would bump into something and guns would go off. Les stepped passed me and flipped on the lights. In front of me were four booths with targets hanging at the end. They had to be around 100 feet away. To the left were cabinets behind a caged storage area. It had its own lock, so I was guessing that is where the guns and ammo were stored. I followed Les over to the table and bench that were along the wall.

Les started pulling a few things out while he talked. "First things first. I had to pull major strings with the Boss to let me bring you down here. I vouched for you along with Bobby and Woody. There are cameras down here along with the rest of the building. I am sure he will go back and check them later. No funny business. You follow the rules, respect the space, us and he says you can practice here. Believe me Beautiful, it will be a lot more fun here than taking you to the gun club out on Route 6. Today we are just going to go over the ins and outs of some of the different guns and get a feel of it in your hand. Next time, we will start shooting."

Les proceeded to spend the next 77 minutes and 13 seconds going over way to many handguns for me to count. I wouldn't say it was fun yet. I was so overwhelmed with everything he was saying. I didn't know if I was going to be able to remember it all. He focused mainly on three which I would try shooting next time. At some point my neck started aching and I kept rubbing it. I thought it was because all the serious talk about guns had me worried. Bobby and Woody came in the room and interrupted the fun.

"We just got back from a surveillance shift and we are off tomorrow. We figured we see if you guys wanted to head to Shorty's with us for pizza and beer." Bobby looked back and forth between us for an answer. Les looked to me as well. I guess it was my call.

"Sure. I am always in the mood for pizza. I can stop for a little bit before I head home." The guys all seemed to smile a bit more and we headed out. Les rode with me since I had never been to Shorty's before. He said I wasn't going to find it on any GPS.

I had no idea what to expect when I pulled up to Shorty's. As Les was giving me directions, I knew it was part of town I didn't go to. If I would feel safe anywhere it made sense that I had a group of ex-military men with me. Les guided me to a table in the back that seemed to be reserved for them. There were three others already eating and plenty of room for the four of us to squeeze in.

"Hey man, we didn't know you guys were coming. We would have waited to order." One of the guys said. I recognized the voice from the intercom when I arrived at the building. I caught his eye as he was talking and was shocked to see his bald head covered with a flaming skull tattoo.

"Don't worry Beautiful, he won't bite. He only makes bad decisions like that when he drinks too much. Well that and his poor taste in women." Les laughed and Bobby started pouring us all a glass of beer from the pitcher. "Let me introduce you to my brothers first and colleagues second, Cal and Zip." This night just got better being surrounding my five hot guys and just me.

I had some pizza with the guys and two beers before I headed out. I had a little bit of a drive ahead of me and work to get up for in the morning. I needed more than six hours of sleep to get me through the day. Preferably more like ten, but that wasn't a reality in the grown up world. The guys joked back and forth all night. I was surprised that Zip was a Ranger's fan and we spent a lot of time talking about the season. I think I shocked him with my knowledge of the game.

Lying in bed I thought back to my bargain I tried to make with them. They teased me a lot about never shooting a gun before considering I was born and raised in Jersey. I still couldn't get a yes or no answer out of Les if I could jump. I didn't want to be annoying about it, but I was dying to jump at night. I decided to try a new angle to get what I wanted. It was worth a try.

"What if I agree to more gun lessons, if you agree to let me jump once with you guys? We both get what we want." I tried getting an answer out of everyone there, but no one would commit.

"I already told you the training is free. I am more than happy to show you as much or as little as you can handle. I can't give you permission. Ranger is the one who has the final say. I am working on it, but I don't know if it will happen. Come back again next Tuesday and maybe he will be in. Try some persuasion techniques in person." I felt slightly defeated. I couldn't get him to cave even with all the beer in his system.

***********P.S. It is taking all my will power not to post the next chapter too…it has been my favorite to write so far. I am super excited to share it, but that will be next weekend.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So I guess the secret to getting reviews is to tell you all I have more. LOL. I said in the beginning it would be weekly updates till I had it ALL written- which I don't. It is in my head, but finding the time to type it takes forever with a lil one running around who likes to push keyboard buttons and only pay any attention to his mommy when she has the computer out. Consider this a midweek special. It is SHORT- no complaints, but there will be another post this weekend.

Chapter 6- Still third week of April- 3 weeks until the event

I headed to Lula's for lunch on Thursday. I needed to clear my head from the chaos of the morning and her food was the way to do it. I sat at my usual booth and waited for Lula to bring me something.

"How's your party planning going working with all those fine men?" Lula was never one to hold back.

"Great. Everything is basically done. I am trying to get them to let me jump once with them. They are doing night jumps and I want to do it so bad. I was so desperate. I agreed to let them teach me how to shoot a gun. I haven't actually shot it yet, but come Tuesday I better have my answer. I guess their boss, Ranger, has the finally say. Les is trying to get him to say yes, but I don't know."

"Oh girl, I could teach you a few persuasion techniques to get what you want. One time, I did this thing with my"

"STOP!" I didn't want to know where she was going with that statement. "I am not going to sleep with them. They are going to be using our facility long after the party. I don't want to make it awkward."

"You know with all these men maybe one will meet your standards." I changed the subject and we talked for a little bit longer. I didn't want to discuss my love life or lack thereof. It was too depressing.

I pulled into the parking lot at work and noticed a big black SUV. I checked my hair and makeup in the mirror. It could be someone else or it could be Lester. Again. I was trying to be prepared. I glanced at my shirt to make sure there were no marinara stains from lunch. I got out and walked inside.

"Hi Steph, there are two guys here to see you. I put them in the conference room." I nodded and headed to the room after dropping my purse in my office.

I tapped on the door and stepped inside. I felt an immediate tightness in my neck. I figured it was the tension and stress, fearing who would be behind the door. I don't know why I felt so intimidated. Les and the man to his left stood immediately. Les was smiling and stepped over to greet me. I kept my eyes glued to the other man still standing. At first glance he looked scary, but as I kept looking at him he was gorgeous. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. His features and stance seemed to soften some as Les took a step back and introduced us.

"Steph, this is Ranger. Owner of RangeMan and guest of honor for our little party."

"Pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Manoso." I reached out to shake his hand.

"Please call me Ric." He took my hand and shook it. I nodded my head, unable to speak. Before I wanted our contact to end, he pulled his hand back. I noticed he rubbed his palms together. I let my arm fall and tried to shake the tingling sensation from my own. I finally took a seat and the two guys followed my lead.

"So what made you guys decide to stop by today?" I tried to direct my question towards Les. I didn't want to be caught starting at _Ric_.

"We were checking out a few leads on a skip we have. Ranger signed the contract so we were going to drop it off. I figured it would be polite to stay so you two could finally meet." Les paused and looked down at his hands before continuing. "Ranger made a decision about you jumping. I figured it would be best to hear coming from him." I nodded the tone of his voice made me nervous. My hopes were slowly crashing that he said no.

Lester's POV

I had been arguing with Ranger for days on his decision to let Steph jump with us. I didn't understand why he wouldn't let her. I had even gone as far to talk to Captain Weis myself on her skills and ability to make sure she knew her stuff. He said she was perfectly capable to do it alone. Even if we made her be strapped to one of use and jump together, she would be fine. She would need some gear including better goggles to help see at night, but knowing her he said she would spend whatever it took to do it. Ranger was so adamant that I brought him here in person to tell her know. I wanted him to see the pain in her face when she would be let down.

We waited about ten minutes before we heard the knob turn and the door open. Steph stepped in and closed the door. My manners and military training kicked in and I stood to greet her. Steph looked a little pale and nervous, more so than our first meeting. I know we can be intimidating, but I thought her and I were beyond just a business relationship. I decided to break the silence in the room and take charge of the situation, definitely my military training was kicking in.

"Steph, this is Ranger. Owner of RangeMan and guest of honor for our little party."

"Pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Manoso." I stood back and watched them stare at each other. They seemed to be in a trance.

"Please call me Ric." I almost choked on when I heard him say '_call me Ric.' _ Ranger has not used that name in years. Unless he was home visiting his family, he was Ranger. He was known to our clients as Carlos. They were staring so intently at each other I feared if I broke them up, I would be shot.

"So what made you guys decide to stop by today?" Steph asked me. I could tell she was struggling to get herself under control. I know my cousin has some skills when it comes to women, but this was something I had never seen before.

"We were checking out a few leads on a skip we have. Ranger signed the contract so we were going to drop it off. I figured it would be polite to stop in so you two could finally meet." I paused and looked down at my hands before continuing. I wasn't going to be the one to break her heart. "Ranger made a decision about you jumping. I figured it would be best to hear coming from him." I noticed she immediately tensed up at the last part. This was going to kill me to hear him tell her no. I turned towards Ranger giving him the floor.

"Steph, you can jump with us under one condition. You have to jump with someone. You cannot do it alone."

My eyes bugged out of my head when I heard Ranger's words. They whole way here he was adamant that she was not going to be joining us. I don't know what changed his mind at the last minute. I quickly pulled myself back under control. I wasn't going to get the answers I wanted right now. But _Ric_ was going to spill the beans as soon as we were in the car.

We quickly went through contract, double checking that Captain and Ranger had signed all the right places. Steph offered to give Ranger a tour of the facility, but Ranger said something came up and we had to leave. I know for a fact he was lying because if it was anything of importance I would have also received the alert. He was straight up lying to her. I couldn't pinpoint why he would do that especially after the while _Ric_ bit.

I waited until Ranger was driving to hopefully save myself a little bit of the punishment I was sure to receive. My mind was running a mile a minute trying to come up with the best line to lay on him. He threatened me before we pulled up not to pull any shit with him at the last minute in front of her. I was facing overnight monitor duty till the end of the year. He was serious when we walked in there. He wasn't going to let her do it. I hoped after having Captain vouch for her, he would change his mind. Something happened to him when he saw her. I glanced his way, but before I had a chance to say anything, he uncharacteristically started talking first.

"That conversation didn't happen. Neither did this one. If anything that happened back there is repeated out of your mouth, you will not have a job. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir" I barked and saluted him as if was still my superior officer. I let it go for a few more minutes. "You got it bad _cuz_." I said grinning like a Cheshire cat. I swear I heard a sigh and a mumbled fuck before my head hit the dash.

"That was your one and only warning _primo_." I crossed my fingers and said a prayer that I wasn't on midnight shifts when the next month's schedule was posted.

A/N: I typically have never liked with other stories where they call Ranger Ric. I always read it in my head as Carlos. For some unknown reason, I hated him as Carlos in this. I tried and tried to make that his name, but it wasn't happening. I feel like I need to reread some of those other Ric stories to see if I like them better now.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and kind words. They really do inspire me to write more and stay up too late knowing I can't sleep in the next day. All mistakes are mine, please forgive me- my degree involves knowing numbers and not a grammar expert. Random side note- has anyone else read or tried to read Labor Day? It is driving me nuts that they are no quotes. I have never read anything written that way. I have up halfway through the first chapter. It's bizarre. It may just be me, but no one else I know has read it yet.

Chapter 7- Fourth week of April- 2 weeks until the event

This was turning out to be one of the worst weeks of my life and it was only Tuesday. It had rained all day Sunday, needless to say I didn't leave the house. However, the downpour left a nice puddle on my bed as the roof of my house choose to leak. I didn't discover it until I went to bed that night and spent all day Monday with the worst neck strain from sleeping on the couch. Luckily my dad was able to come over in the morning and get someone out to fix it. Monday night was spent bed shopping, which could have been fun if my bedroom activities were shared with another warm body.

Tuesday morning my hot water tank decided to crap out and halfway through rinsing out my conditioner, I was blasted with cold water. My dad, bless his heart, was able to replace it while I was at work. Now, I was on way to RangeMan for what has become my standard weekly lesson.

I pulled up to the gate and waiting for it to be raised. A few of the guys have gotten used to seeing me and were much more pleasant now.

"Howdy, Steph. I will be down in a minute, pull into any open space." Woody's voice trickled through the intercom. I pulled in and waited at the elevator for it to open. I could feel the tension building in my neck again. I thought I was over my fear of shooting. Woody came barreling out of the stairwell instead.

"Hey, Les got pulled into a takedown tonight. They are planning upstairs right now. Sorry you can't go up. Les asked that I do your lesson instead." He stood there patiently waiting for my approval.

"Sure, that would be great." He placed his hand at the small of my back and guided us over to the range.

Woody's approach was completely different than Les. Not that I didn't mind Lester, but Woody was able to pull something out of me. He stood behind me, guided my hands and relaxed my stance. I wasn't afraid of shooting the gun like I was with Les. My body was humming with nervous energy until halfway through the lesson it went away all together.

I glanced back at Woody as I took my ear protection off. He was beaming with smiles.

"I can't believe you got half the rounds in the target. After what Les told me about last week, I thought I wouldn't even be able to get you to hold the gun again." I shrugged off his compliment.

"It helped that I had a great teacher." I smiled back at him. We stood there looking at each other for brief minute before Woody's phone beeped with a text.

"Some of the guys are heading to Shorty's, do you want to come?"

"Yeah that would be great."

Woody rode over with me saying he would catch a ride back with one of the guys already there. We walked into Shorty's and were greeted with a standing ovation by the five guys at the back tables. I looked over a little confused at Woody.

"Sorry Darlin', I may have left the cameras going and everyone got to see how you kicked ass tonight." I was blushing instantly not only at knowing everyone had seen my better but still pitiful shooting, but also at the nickname.

"I am going to be polite and just say thanks. I will not dwell on the fact that there is video record of anything." The guys all smiled and passed me a beer. Maybe my week was starting to turn around.

I ended up sandwiched between Woody and Zip with my back to the door. A few of the guys shared their own embarrassing stories from learning to shoot and hold a gun. Woody even had a scar to go with his tale. The guys had a constant flow of cold beer coming by the pitcher. My body was humming between the beer and rubbing and brushing of Woody and Zip's bodies against mine. I was going to be taking a shower tonight to help release a little tension.

I was engrossed in Cal's play by play of Hal's most recent date. Apparently he was a little gun shy with the ladies and ended up zipping himself up on his latest blind date. He was paranoid about the guys finding out, so he drove to Philly to get checked out. The nurse was smitten with Hal and asked him out. According to Cal, Hal is looking forward to the date since the nurse knows he is on restrictions so there is no pressure for the first date. I laughed at that. Who would think in 2014 there would be a guy worried about having sex on the first date?

Midway through Cal's story, I felt my neck stiffen up again. I was beginning to think I should visit the chiropractor because it was happening more in the last few weeks than ever before. Woody saw me rubbing and reached behind us and started rubbing my shoulder. I turned towards him and mouthed thanks. He had magic hands. I had to stifle a few moans. It had been a long time since I received a rub from a warm blooded male.

Woody leaned over towards my ear to hear him better over the guys banter. "Your body isn't used to the muscles used for shooting. It is common for them to tighten up in the beginning Darlin', especially if you are tense while shooting." It took all my concentration to focus on the words he was saying and not the accent of warm breath blowing over my ear.

Les's POV

I was planning on meeting with Steph tonight for another gun lesson. At the last minute we got word that a high bond skip was scene at Mickey Finn's Pub and a team was pulled together for the take down. I asked Woody to cover for me with Steph since she was more familiar with him than some of the other guys at the office.

We successfully apprehended our skip and in record time due to the amount of liquor in his system. Ranger and I loaded up in an SUV as I checked my messages. Zip was on monitors when we left and sent me a video close up of Steph's targets.

"Damn Beautiful." I said to no one in particular. I was in shock at what I saw. Woody was a miracle worker.

"Santos, can't you wait till we get back to sexting or whatever it is you do with the women of Trenton." Ranger spat out as he started up the SUV.

"Come on man, give me some credit. The ladies may send me their pics, but I am smart enough to not have pictures of myself hanging around. Here look at this, Steph had another lesson tonight." I passed my phone over to my cousin to see with his own eyes. I know he knew how nervous she was last week. He called me to the mats for over stepping the lines with her. He not only saw, but heard the entire session.

I watched his eyes for any sign of a reaction to what he was watching. Ranger was one of the hardest people to read. After watching the video twice, he handed it back to me. "Guess all she needed was a better teacher," Ranger said while keeping his blank face and pulled out of the lot.

"Drop me off at Shorty's, they're all there. I will get a ride back with one of the guys."

Ranger pulled up to Shorty's ten minutes later, but instead of leaving he parked and opened up the door as if he was getting out. He was around the car before I had the door open. He rarely joined us. This was not going to be good.

I walked in the door after Ranger and noticed Steph was rubbing her neck. Woody reached up to do it for her and leaned over to talk into her ear. Ranger stopped walking as we got a little closer. I moved around him and yanked Steph out of her seat.

"Oh my god! Les you scared the shit out of me!" A surprised Steph yelled at me as she tried to catch her breath and punched me in the arm.

"Beautiful that was amazing. I had to stop by and see you. I am jealous that I couldn't get you to do it myself." I spoke truthfully. I was a little defeated after our last session and how put off she seemed by the whole thing.

"Thanks Les. I don't know what Woody did, but it just clicked. I wasn't as nervous. I thought you had to work, are you leaving?"

"Nope, the party is just getting started now that we are here."

"We?" She asked me back. I turned to see where Ranger was and she followed my gaze. "Oh hi Ric, you guys can join us. We can make room." As she spoke his name, it was like a train wreck. All the guys stopped talking, Cal dropped his beer and they all turned their heads to avoid eye contact with the three of us. Steph seemed oblivious to it all. Thank god for little miracles. I had a feeling we were all going to be called to the mats in the morning if anyone of us said anything sounding like _Ric_ within ear shot of Ranger.

We all headed for seats at the table. The seats on either side of Steph were vacant as Woody and Zip slipped over to the pool tables. They nodded to me and _Ric_ and I sat on either side.

Steph's POV

"Nope, the party is just getting started now that we are here." Les told me in his flirty playful tone.

"We?" I was confused. I didn't notice anyone else with Les when he came in, but I was trying to catch my breath, maybe he wasn't alone. I looked over his shoulder to see Ric standing there, looking a bit like a fish out of water. "Oh hi Ric, you guys can join us. We can make room."

I turned to sit back down and the restaurant seemed extra quiet. Cal was wiping up the table and Zip looked like he had just seen a ghost. Men are hard to understand sometime. It was probably best that I didn't drink anymore. The guys took seats on either side of me and I pulled some of the leftover pizza closer. It was a little cold, but pizza was good at any temperature.

I handed them both a beer as well. Les greedily accepted his. Ric stared at me for a few moments before taking it from my hands. I swear I heard another glass break and looked up to find Cal wiping up the table again. Les was grinning from ear to ear like he just won the lottery as he grabbed another piece of pizza.

Les started to fill the others in on the takedown and I sat and listened to him. I glanced a few times towards Ric. He was just sitting there, not talking, not eating. They even brought out a salad at some point and it was left untouched. His beer was untouched expect for the first drank he took. I kept feeling like someone was staring at me, but whenever I looked around everyone seemed focused on Les or elsewhere.

Everyone was having a good time except Ric, he just kept sitting there. He moved to the pool tables at one point. I joined the guys watching Les take on Cal. It seemed like as soon as I moved over there, Ric went back to the table as if he was avoiding me. This is why I don't mix business with pleasure. He couldn't seem to stand to be near me, how are we supposed to work together. I was starting to get tired, but didn't want to seem like a party pooper. Les caught me stifling a yawn.

"Aww Beautiful, why didn't you say something?" He slung an arm around my shoulders. "It is almost midnight. You should have said something. You probably have to be up early for work. Most of us are on the afternoon shift right now. Let me grab your bag and walk you out." I nodded and walked over to the table to say goodnight. They all congratulated me again and Woody offered to do the next lesson instead of Les. I didn't want to hurt Les' feelings, so I told him I would think about it.

We were about to open the door when I heard Ric's voice and I stopped. He did some silent communication and head nod with Les and then opened the door for me to walk out with him. He didn't say more than a few words toward me all night and now he was my escort. I will never figure men out.

I decided to break the awkward silence as we walked to my car. "Thanks for what you are letting the guys show me. You really didn't have to agree to any of this." I turned to face him since we had reached my car. He still hadn't said anything other than nod his head to my statements of gratitude.

I tried to wait him out for a few minutes, but after I yawned again I couldn't take it any longer. I opened my car door and moved to get inside. I was caught off guard by the vibrations raking through my body as I felt his hand grab my arm. I paused and turned to look at him. His expression was changed. He almost looked confused as to what he was doing.

"Can I stop by your office this week?" My eyes bugged out at his question. It was not at all what I was expecting him to say.

"Sure." I replied, not really knowing what else to say.

He released by arm and I climbed in. He stood watching me as I pulled out and headed home. It was almost one by the time I got home and settled into bed. I had a good time tonight, but something seemed off. I feel into a restless sleep till my alarm woke me the next morning.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and kind words. I had a busy week and didn't get to respond to all of them, but I read every one and they made me smile. I hope this one meets your expectations. All mistakes are mine, my degree is in numbers not words.

Chapter 8- Still fourth week of April- 2 weeks until the event

Ric never showed up. I was slightly put off but also relieved because I had no idea what he wanted. I tried not to dwell on it too much and was excited to relax tonight. My best friend Mary Lou arranged a girl's night out. Her youngest son was now sleeping through the night and she wanted to celebrate. Lula, Maggie from the office, and I were all meeting her for drinks and dancing.

We were just about to order our next round of drinks when the waitress brought over a tray full of them. She pointed towards another table across the room and said they were from that table of hot guys. We all grabbed a drink and held them up to toast our admirers. I nearly choked on my drink when I noticed Les and Woody holding up their beers toasting us back.

"You guys are depressing me." Mary Lou pouted between sips of her drink. "I forgot how fun it was to go out and flirt with men for drinks. I feel guilty with Lenny at home. I am going to call me a cab." We all laughed. The few times she has called a girls night since being married, always ended with her leaving early to go home to her man.

"Mind if we join you Beautiful?" Les asked as he took a seat and Woody pulled over a chair. Lula was fanning herself and trying to control it as Maggie was whispering something in her ear. Maggie had met Les before; I could only imagine what she was telling Lula.

"Thanks for the drinks guys. I am beginning to think you are stalking me. I have seen you more outside of work these past few weeks than business related meetings."

"Only in your dreams Darlin'." Woody playful said back. "A few of us had the night off and came out to have a few drinks, enjoy the eye candy Trenton has to offer on a Friday night. You should know our night got much better when we realized you were here too."

While Woody talked a few the guys had joined our little group. Cal already had Maggie on the dance floor. Tank was whispering something to Lula and soon they were dancing as well. A few of the faces looked familiar and Les introduced me to them all again- Bobby, Zip, Manny and Bones were all here.

I was listening to Les and Bobby arguing the merits of switching to alcohol or staying with beer. Bobby ultimately won the debate when he pointed out to Les he was on call this weekend. Ranger was due back at any time and he had to pick him up. Beer would help minimize the hangover when he was called.

"What do you mean you're on call?" I blurted it out before I realized I didn't have any need to know other than my own curious nature.

"Ranger got called out of town Wednesday morning. I am on call to pick him up from the airport whenever his plane gets in. Since it was last minute, we don't really know when he is getting back. We just know it is between now and Sunday night."

"Oh that must be why Ric didn't show up." I looked around at 4 pairs of eyes bugging out of their heads at me. "What?" I questioned them.

"Why do you call him Ric and where didn't he show up?" Bobby seemed to ask the questions no one else had the balls to ask.

"He introduced himself that way. Ask Les. I didn't realize it was that big of a deal. When I left Shorty's he mentioned that we was going to stop by the office this week. He didn't show up or call." I noticed Les elbow Bobby before he could ask any more questions. Woody pulled me out of my seat and onto the dance floor.

"You're trying to distract me." I accused Woody as I looked back to the table. The guys seemed to be having a heated debate back at the table.

"Yes and no. I have been dying to dance with you Darlin' and what they are gabbing about has nothing to do with us."

"Gabbing? What are they 80 year old women at a beauty parlor?" I questioned Woody as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Might as well be." He smirked back and pulled my hips in. I decided not to argue or push the distraction point any further. For once I was just going to let it be and savor in the feeling of a man giving me attention for a change.

I made it home just after one that night. I drove myself, but was followed by Les and Woody's SUV. They wanted to drive me, but insisted I was perfectly capable of doing it myself. I laid in bed thinking about the night. I don't think I had ever had that much fun going out without even hooking up with someone. I changed partners multiple times that nice, dancing with just about everyone. I would have thought Les or Bobby to be the better partner, but Woody surprised me. He held me in all the right spots during a slow song and kept up to the beat during the fast paced dance tracks.

Les' POV

I couldn't believe it when I saw her. Of all the clubs in the greater Trenton area, she was here tonight. She was never going to believe it was pure coincidence. Woody decided to buy the girls all a round of drinks. We have been out together plenty of times, but he never acted the way he does around Steph. If I didn't know any better, I would think he has a crush on her.

He wasn't as much of a player as the rest of us. Rumor had it that he never got over his first love. They were high school sweethearts. He left to join the Army and she couldn't handle the stress and long distance. She also didn't have the heart to break up with him. She started seeing someone after he was gone two years and took another two years to break up with him. He sent her gifts, letters, visited her on his short leaves and she never once said anything. I guess she didn't want to tell him when he was deployed and kept it going for his own good. I can see her thinking and heard of other guys it happened to, but she has scared him for life. He is afraid of getting his heart broken again.

"Why do you call him _Ric_ and where didn't he show up?" I sent Bobby a look that he should end this line of questioning. He knew better than to meddle in the Boss' business.

"He introduced himself that way. Ask Les. I didn't realize it was that big of a deal. When I left Shorty's he mentioned that we was going to stop by the office this week. He didn't show up or call." I not so subtly elbowed Bobby in the ribs. Woody picked up on it and pulled Steph away from the table.

"What the hell was that for Santos?" Brown spat out at me.

"It's none of our business." I spit back at him.

"Bullshit. You told me the other day that you went with _Ric _to see her, but you seem to have left out the major details. Why are we just finding out about the details of _Ric's_ conversation?"

"For once I decided to take the high road. I am not getting into the middle of it with him again. He may be my cousin, but I don't want to hurt Steph in the process. She has a good heart. I don't know what the deal is. Can we leave it at that?" The guys left at the table nodded and I knew the discussion was over.

"I think the Boss may have a little competition." Bones directed our attention to the dance floor. Shit, now I have to worry about Woody being in the mix too. Why can't things ever be simple?

I took turns dancing with Steph throughout the night. Part of me just wanted to spend the time with her and part of me was trying to keep her away from Woody. I didn't know what was going on with either of them, including Ranger, but I was going to do whatever I needed to do to protect Steph in all of this.

Steph's POV

"Pumpkin….Steph…Where are you?"

I woke Saturday to my head pounding and someone calling my name. After a few minutes, it registered that is was almost noon and my dad was looking for me. I yelled to him I would be down in a few. I jumped in the shower and threw on some clothes for the day. I came downstairs to my dad pouring me a cup of coffee with extra cream and sugar.

"Good night Pumpkin?" He half asked, half laughed at.

"Yeah, I went out with the girls and ran into a few new friends."

"Is this friend the one you talked about last time? So it was another date?" I loved my dad. He wanted to know the details, but wasn't shy or beating around the bush about it. I just nodded my head and grabbed the car keys.

We spent a few hours gathering supplies from the hardware store and greenhouse. My dad decided my housed need more curb appeal and landscaping was the way to do it. We finished up around 6 and threw some steaks and potatoes on the grill for dinner. I was relaxing on patio as my dad grilled. I started rubbing my neck again. My shoulders and neck were stiff from all the lifting, bending and hunching over all day.

"Dad, do you know any good chiropractors?" He asked why as he turned the steaks for the final time. "I have been having some soreness or stiffness in my neck. I thought it was from sleeping on the couch, but the more I think about it has been happening for a few weeks. I figured I would see one and maybe it will help."

My dad pulled the food off the grill and sat down at the table. I couldn't quite read his face, but could tell he was deep in thought. Halfway through dinner he finally spoke.

"Humor me pumpkin, when did this first start happening?"

"I told you a few weeks ago. Were you not listening?"

"Where are you when you notice it?" I rolled my eyes at him, it had been happening many different places.

"Home, the office, RangeMan, a restaurant. Like I said a bunch of places. Do you know anyone?"

"Yes, I will look up his number and get it for you. I don't think that is what you need." I looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. I was interrupted from asking him anything else by the ringing of his cell phone. After a few minutes he hung up and stood to leave.

"I need to head out. Val's van broke down and Joe is out of town. I need to go meet her and wait for the tow truck." We headed into the kitchen and I wrapped up his food to finish later. I told him to call if he needed anything and cleaned up the rest of the mess.

I decided I deserved some pampering and went for a soak in my jacuzzi tub. I tried to clear my head and relax, but I couldn't get my dad's comments out of my head. Why didn't he think I needed a chiropractor and why did it matter where it all happened.

I ran through it all in my head. When it happened at home, it was from sleeping in the couch and working in the yard today. At work it happened a few times and during or after my gun lessons. Woody said that could happen. Sometimes Les or Woody were around, but last night they were both there and nothing happened.

I decided to stop dwelling on it and just go to bed. Who knows what point my dad was trying to make. He would always ask us silly questions or distract us. It was his tactic when we were teenagers to try and catch Val or I in a lie. He would often stump us and catch us. My mom was never that quick or maybe she was just naïve to think her daughters weren't sneaking off to make out with their boyfriends instead of going to the homecoming game.

I tripped over my own feet and that is when it hit me. Could it be possible that my neck aches were actually what my mom described what she felt when she met my dad? It didn't make sense to me. I was around Les and Woody and it would happen and not happen. It would come and go. Last night there was not one bit of it, but Tuesday night it came and went. I went to bed more confused that night than I had in a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer- I do not own these people, JE does. I am just playing around in my little bubble. Thanks for all the review love. The real author's note is at the bottom…enjoy!

Chapter 9- End of April/Beginning of May- 1 week till event

Les' POV

I was waiting at the airport for Ranger to get back. He texted me at 5:30 this morning to say his flight would be in at 1:45 this afternoon. I was waiting for 23 minutes, his flight was late. I could see him finally making his way to me, so I clicked the doors unlocked. My phone started ringing and swiped it open to answer.

"Yo."

"Hey Les." Steph seemed to pause and not continue. At this point Ranger had joined me in the passenger seat and was looking at me to take off. In a split second I made the decision to pull the lion's tail. Maybe I could figure out how much _Ric_ was interested.

"Hey Beautiful I was just thinking about you. I wasn't sure you would be even up and moving after the other night." The mood in the truck immediately changed. I could feel the tension in the air. Maybe I just signed up for a one way ticket to Siberia.

"Funny Mister. I didn't have that much to drink. I have actually been out shopping all morning, but now I have a problem." Steph seemed to loosen up and was now getting to the point of her call.

"Tell Uncle Les your problems and I am sure I can do something about it." I really was asking for a beating from Ranger.

"I am at the mall, but I locked my eyes in the car. I thought you might be able to break in or something. Nevermind, I don't know why I called. I can just call AAA." She was rambling now and clearly embarrassed.

"No, it's no problem. I can be there in 40 minutes if you can sit tight." I said glancing at my watch. It would take about that long to drop Ranger back at Haywood and then get to the mall.

"Thanks Les, I am parked outside Macy's. You will see me. I will be the one sitting on the trunk."

"Later." I disconnected my phone and resisted looking in Ranger's direction. If he wanted to know anything, I was going to make him ask. We were about 10 minutes in to the drive when he finally broke.

"Report." Ranger snapped louder than necessary considering we were sitting side by side in a SUV. I was guaranteeing at least to be called to the mats with my big mouth, but I couldn't help myself now.

"No break-ins, we caught Fletcher on Friday and we are lining up to get Weston late Monday. No injuries. Hal has been cleared for field work. It has been pretty quiet while you were gone." I swear I heard Ranger sigh.

"What about _that_ phone call?" If I didn't know any better I would say Ranger sounded a bit jealous. I glanced his way briefly before answering. He definitely looked the part.

"Oh, Steph just locked her keys in her car. I was going to help her out after I dropped you off. No biggie" I was using all my will power keep a blank face.

"Where is she?" It feels like we are playing a game of 20 questions. Ranger may even set a record for most questions asked and word count.

"Mall, really it won't take long. I will drop you off and head over there."

"Head there now. She shouldn't be stranded. It could start raining." I peeked out the window. It was a beautiful Spring day, not a cloud in the sky. Clearly my cousin was not thinking straight. I just nodded in agreement and headed for the mall instead.

I pulled into the mall parking lot and Ranger pointed her out before I saw her. She was leaning back on the trunk of her car staring up towards the sky. There were several bags sitting there including one that every man can spot a mile away- Victoria's Secret. She sat up and hopped down as we got out of the car. I kept my eye on her to watch her reaction when she noticed Ranger.

Steph's POV

I woke Sunday morning on a mission. I was going to keep myself distracted all day and not try to over analyze any of my dad's comments or my revelations last night. I headed out to do some major shopping. I went to the mall and was having a great time finding some new spring clothes, shoes and lacey undergarments from Victoria's Secret. I should probably talk to someone about my addiction to matching lacey bra and panty sets. I had 2 drawers full at home and still felt the need for more.

I was walking back to my car and reaching in my purse for the keys. I felt around, moving it back and forth, but didn't feel them. I set my bags on the trunk and proceeded to rummage through my purse. I still couldn't find the damn things. I checked all the doors and they were locked. I could see my keys laying on the floor. I must have missed tossing them into my purse. I stood there for a few minutes thinking what I should do before I called him again. I swear I have had more embarrassing things happen to me since I met him than my entire life.

I kept checking my watch. It felt like it had been 40 minutes, but only 15 had past. Even though it was only April, I felt the sweat building up and my hair starting to frizz out. I had already run out of lives on Candy Crush. Updating my Facebook status at a time like this seemed like the smart thing to do if I was still sixteen. If I was still sixteen, there wouldn't be a Facebook for me to update. I didn't need any ridicule at my own expense, so skipped the status update. I rubbed my neck at the sensations I was feeling. As I slide my phone into my pocket, I noticed a black SUV weaving through the parking lot.

Les hopped out and grabbed a small bag from the back. I walked towards him when I notice the passenger side door open. I didn't realize Les was with anyone. _Shit, not now_ I thought to myself.

"What not now, Beautiful." Les asked as he greeted me with a hug. "I should be able to get the door open in under 5."

"Don't make promises you can't keep _primo_." Ranger said with a smirk leaning against the hood. I was stuck on the word _primo_. What did that mean?

I tried to casually wipe the sweat beads off my forehead and adjust my hair as the two guys busted each other's chops. I couldn't believe Les came here with him. If he was working, I could have waited. I could have found someone else. I didn't want him getting in trouble for messing up being on call. Of course as my luck would have it, he would be picking him up when I called. I was lost in my own thoughts. I didn't realize they were both staring at me.

"How 'bout it Steph?" Les questioned me.

"Sorry, what was the question?"

"Ranger doesn't think I can pop your locks in less than 5. I say I can. If I win, he owes us lunch. If I lose, I have to cover monitor shifts all week."

"I really don't want to cause any problems. Don't make me decide." What I really wanted to say was I didn't think I could handle spending any time with _Ric_. I didn't have time to prepare myself for that. I could hang with any of the other guys Les introduced me to, but my brain seemed to be fried around him. I didn't know if it was intimidation or what. I didn't feel like myself.

"C'mon Beautiful it isn't often that I get a chance to show off my skills and make my cousin buy lunch at the same time. I know this great little Cuban restaurant on the way back we can stop at."

"Fine set your watch, as long as it isn't taking you away from work anymore." Les walked over to the door and got to work. I was left with Ric leaning against the truck waiting for Les.

Ric turned towards me, us each standing on the corner of the truck. He stared intently at me as if he didn't know what to say or do. I didn't really know what to say to him to start the conversation either. I glanced towards Les as he dropped a few choice words.

"I don't think he is going to make it." I said partly to myself, partly to the silent statue next to me.

"I owe you lunch either way." Ranger blurted out. I looked at him curiously. "When I asked you if I could stop by your work, I was going to take you to lunch. I got called away on business at the last minute."

"Oh." Really, was that all I could come up with. "No biggie. I was tied up in meetings most the week." Liar! I shouted at myself, but I didn't want to seem like I had been sitting around each day driving myself nuts with paranoia if he would show up.

"Are you telling me you didn't have time? You would have blown me off if I called." He had a blank face in place. I couldn't read him. I was unsure if he was teasing, serious, offended or something.

"No, I didn't mean it like that." I could feel my cheeks heating up. "I just meant that it would have been a quickie." I was rambling now, not paying any attention to the words spewing out of my mouth. I rubbed my neck trying to shake this feeling I had.

"For the record, nothing about me is quick."

I was caught off guard by his comment. Then it dawned on me what I had said. "No, I didn't mean it like. I…I…my days are pretty busy." I stood awkwardly for a minute trying to refocus my attention. I had to force my mind to remove the x-rated thoughts. He was so calm and collected, exuding confidence, dominance, loyalty and power. I have never seen or felt this sort of presence from someone before. I didn't feel threatened. I felt almost safe and protected. Like I could trust him without needing to ask or reassure myself. It was an odd feeling.

"You think he's going to finish anytime soon?" I finally asked Ric trying to break up the silence.

"Doesn't matter. He is about to hit 10 minutes. Hope you don't mind not seeing much of him for a few days." Ranger said chucking. "He never knows when to stop."

"I guess I'll have to take Woody up on his offer then." I said pinching the back of my neck again. It was cramped and had a burning sensation again.

"What offer?" He questioned. His voice sounded a little higher as he spoke. It was like my comment caught him of guard.

"He offered to do my lessons if I wanted instead."

"His schedule doesn't allow for it next week. I will have to do it." His tone started out forceful, almost as if I didn't have a choice. He finished the bold statement as if he was asking if it was okay and leaving the decision up to me. I nodded my head in agreement. Him and I. Alone. I was nervous, excited and scared.

Les seemed to have perfect timing and walked over to us with my keys jingling in hand. "Not my personal best, but I still got to save a damsel in distress."

"Thanks Les. Really thanks too Ric. Sorry to keep you from getting home sooner. I'll see you Tuesday." Ric nodded his head in return and I rolled out of the lot. I could see Les laughing at something in my mirror.

Les POV

I had the lock popped in just over two minutes. I was about to announce my victory as I caught site of the two of them talking. I don't know why, but in a split second decision I decided to keep my mouth shut and pretend to keep working the lock. It wasn't very often in my life that I have seen Ranger show an interest in another female. He used minimum effort to get a woman in bed with him. Often times he could get what he wanted with a look.

The only real relationship I have ever known him to have was with his ex-wife and mother to his daughter. Rachel and Ranger were too young and to make it work. He was just beginning his active service as a Ranger. What started out as a one night fling turned into a whole lot more. They married but soon realized they made better friends than lovers. He hasn't been able to spend a lot of time with Julie, but in the last year he has started to reconnect with her. As his military career wound down, he could spend more time with her. It was actually part of the reason for his trip. Julie was part of a spring musical at her school. Rachel called to invite him. Julie had been asking about him, but afraid to ask. He may tell everyone else it was a business trip, however I knew the there was a video recording in his bags to prove otherwise. He was the proud father of the lead star of the musical.

I was trained to read people's body language. I don't know what was going on with these two, but their bodies were sending signals. For all the walls Ranger puts up, Steph has seemed to crumble some down. Steph didn't react to Ranger the way most other women seemed to. She wasn't throwing herself at him, forcing to get his attention. She had every bit of his attention and she wasn't doing anything other than being herself. No extra effort was made on her part. I glanced at my watch and realized I had let the charade go on for almost 10 minutes. Ranger was going to know I was faking it. We all could get into a car in less than 5 minutes. It was a requirement and we were tested on it for every review. No sooner than I gave Steph her keys back, she seemed to be in her car and out of the lot. It wasn't lost on me that she told Ranger she would see him Tuesday.

"Will I be seeing you too on Tuesday _Ric_?" I teased Ranger while I put my tools back.

"You're on midnights for a month _cuz_." Ranger said in his don't fuck with me tone.

"Yeah, yeah, but it was worth it."

A/N: So I think this is the start of what we all have been waiting for…It most definitely is Babe. I tried hard to make it be something else, but my muse wouldn't let it work out that way. Steph is slowing realizing something is going on. On a positive note, I have started using my Kindle to write, keeping a draft with notes in my email to type when the time allows. It is harder for the son to reach, so it is working pretty good, except for when I deleted a draft three times and had to rewrite the same section four times. YEAH! That was fun. Gmail should make it when you delete a draft that it still exists in your trash and not gone from everywhere.

P.S. I have two more chapters complete…..maybe enough begging and reviews will get you lovely readers a little more than waiting a week for the next update!


	10. Chapter 10

JE owns these lovely characters- I am just trying to have a little fun All mistakes are mine, please forgive me.

Chapter 10- Still End of April/Beginning of May- 1 week till event

I had an unsettled feeling the rest of the day. I mind was reeling from the day I had, not just the events but the conversation with Ric. There was something about him and I couldn't put my finger on it. The way he said Les and Woody wouldn't be available on Tuesday. Now I would have the king doing my lesson. I really wanted to find a way out of it.

I had till the end of next week for the party. I would be friendly and try not to cross the line. Hopefully once it was over I wouldn't be so caught up with all of them. Don't get me wrong they were all great guys. As I thought about it, how did our lives get so crossed over the last few weeks? That just isn't normal. The universe works in mysterious ways.

I still was unsure what to think of Ric. The obvious was he was hot. The way his muscles stretched out the fabric of his shirt. It was almost unnatural. I had never seen a man with such an amazing body and he was wearing clothes. He exuded masculinity, power and sex. He was intimidating. If he was interested, which that would be a stretch, how could I keep his attention. He could have any woman he wanted, there was no way I was it.

Monday night I was feeling a little sentimental. I dug out some of my old family albums and flipped through the old pictures. There were pictures of my grandparents and my parents when they first met. Looking at these pictures, I also felt a bit of jealously. They all could truly say the found their sole mates in life. They were the perfect match for each other. The older I got the more I thought I would be alone forever. I was never going to be able to settle down. I wanted someone I could come home to and share my day over. Or if I felt really bad we could find comfort just sitting in silence. I loved the story about how my parents met, but I also hated my mom for telling me it. She made it seem like a fairytale, but real life wasn't like that.

Tuesday was the day from hell. If there was ever a day I thought I wanted to quit my job, today was that day. I spent most of the day on the phone with some customs official trying to coordinate a delivery and get it released. I couldn't speak his language and he spoke some broken English. I resorted to using an online translation program and emailing him while we were on the phone. I am crossing my fingers that everything is set up right. The last response was a yeah and ok. I was half sure it would go smoothly. I grabbed a quick bite to eat at home and then headed to RangeMan for my lesson.

On the way there, I started to feel funny. I can't describe it, but it was like part nerves, part anxiety and part excitement. It was all because of Ric. I didn't know what to expect from him. Was he going to be all bad ass and down to business or did he have it in him to relax? Probably not. It was his company and I would suck it up for another week to get to do my jump. I had to stay focused on the end result. As I thought about what the lesson would be like, I felt my neck tighten again. I guess it was just all the nerves and stress from handling a gun again. It happened every time I was in his building at some point.

"Fuck". I screamed to no one in particular as I slammed on my brakes in the middle of Haywood Street. I was about half a mile from RangeMan. I was jolted against my steering wheel as I was hit from behind. It took me a minute to realize what had happened. I was rear ended because my dumb self just realized what was happening.

That was it. My damn neck cramps this whole time weren't from the stress, work, or related to sleeping on the couch. It was what my mom described. How could I have been so blind to it this whole time? I wasn't entirely sure I knew who it was but somehow it was related to RangeMan. I didn't have much time to dwell on it as I was pulled from my thoughts by someone banging on my window. The window muffled the sound but I could tell the person outside was angry. I looked around out the windows and saw traffic in both directions was stopped and a crowd was beginning to form. I could hear sirens in the distance. I quickly decided my best course of action was to stay in the car.

As the blue and white pulled up, I was relieved to see Carl and Big Dog. I knew them from growing up in the Burg. They approached my car and Big Dog pulled the other driver away so I could get out.

"Hey Steph. How are you feeling? Any injuries?" Carl asked as he looked over my body. I had a pounding headache from hitting the wheel, but I didn't feel it was serious. Not to mention this was all my fault. I didn't need or want a bigger production than was already being made.

"No I'm fine." He seemed to accept it and pulled out his pad. He started to ask me what happened. I wasn't going to tell him the possible life changing revolution I discovered while driving to a gun lesson. Nope. I was going to flip to denial land and lie out my teeth. "I saw a cat run across the street. I stopped to try and not hit it. He...I mean she looked fat, probably pregnant. I couldn't hit her."

He nodded his head and told me to sit tight while they processed the scene. The other driver was still pretty riled up, for what I don't know, since there was more damage to my car than his cargo van. I played with my phone to distract myself from the life altering realization I had. I was so caught up I didn't realize more people had arrived on the scene including 3 black SUVs.

"Hey Beautiful, you really know how to cause a scene." Les playfully teased me as I got out and joined him, Woody, Bobby and Ric in the street. Ric was pulled away by one of the cops.

"What can I say, it was all in the name of feline safety." I nervously look around. There were more police and detectives in suits assessing the scene and in particular the van. "What's going on? This seems like a lot of man power for a little fender bender." The guys looked at each other, but wouldn't tell me what was happening. After what seemed like hours of silence, Ric had made his way back to us.

"She's cleared to come with us. If they need anything else Carl is going to call and let us know. Let's get back inside before we draw too much attention." The guys seemed to move with efficiency as he spoke. I was handed me my purse and whisked inside one of the SUVs as we all made our way to RangeMan.

Once inside the parking garage, they call got out and started heading towards a door. I was completely at a loss for what just happened. I looked around to the guys, noticed they were going up some stairs so I followed after them. I was just about there when I was pulled back. I turned around to come face to face with Ric. He seemed to have an intensity in his eyes that was lost a second after I was facing him. We stood staring at each other for a brief minute before he broke the silence.

"What I am about to do is unprecedented. If you cannot agree to keep everything you see or hear confidential, I need you to leave now." He was all business in his speech. I had a million questions running through my mind, so of course I was going to agree. I let him know I agreed and he pulled me into the elevator. I stood silently beside him as we waited for the doors to open.

He placed his hand at the small of my back as the doors opened. The moment his hand touched, I felt like I was on fire. I was paralyzed for a brief moment. I felt Ric nudge me forward and I forced my legs and knees to cooperate. He stopped for a minute and leaned down towards my ear, "Call me Ranger while we are in the building, please." I nodded in agreement. I didn't think I would be able to form any words after feeling his breath brush across my neck.

He kept his hand at my back for the entire trip down the hall. I took a few slow deep breaths to get my heart rate under control. My mind was racing and my body was humming. I tried to push all thoughts aside as I was offered a seat at a large conference table filled with at least fifteen other men dressed in black. The seat to the left of me was open as Ric remained standing to address the room.

"Gentlemen, there was an altercation down the road involving Ms. Plum from Flying Aces. You may have noticed her here the a few times getting some lessons from Les and Woody. She was rear ended by Martin Milanski." There was a few gasps, oh shits and damns around the table. I felt I need to correct Ric. It was my fault, Martin wasn't at fault here.

"Technically I will be the one getting the ticket. It was my fault," I paused and looked around the room. They were all staring at me like a dear in headlights, "I slammed on my brakes to avoid a cat, umm, she looked fat and pregnant." The room erupted with laughter at my statement. I was starting to feel really self-conscious. I sat back down and avoided eye contact with everyone.

"Enough," barked Ranger to the men. They were immediately quiet and at attention to their boss. "TPD will be leaving her name off of all police reports. It was purely coincidental that Steph stopped him, but he was carrying another shipment. We will have briefing tomorrow afternoon after I met with TPD and Mayor Juniak. Consider the takedown for this weekend cancelled and all surveillance shifts lifted. Zip and Manny work on removing any surveillance footage any business in the area may have. Hector, keep your ear to the streets to make sure no one is talking about her. Les and Tank, get in contact with Carl and see if he knows anything else. Everyone has Ms. Plum to thank for making our job a little easier. You all owe her, big. Dismissed."

Everyone left the room except for Ric and I. I was completely at a loss for what went on even more. How was I being praised for causing an accident? I sat there trying to process everything that just happened. I was lost in thought that I didn't hear Ric trying to get my attention. He reached over and turned my head towards him. I shivered at his touch again. I could feel the energy pulsing through my body as his hand had settled itself on my shoulder.

"You didn't hear anything I said, did you?" He asked grinning at me. I was caught off guard by the smile, I had yet to see him show any extreme expression of emotion with me. I bet he could get me to agree to just about anything with that smile.

"Nope, but I would like to know what is going on?" I stared right back at him, trying to keep my breathing under control.

He stood reaching his hand out to me, "Come up stairs and I will try and answer your questions." For a fleeting moment, I almost said no. But as if my mom was right there with me, I reached out and slipped my hand into his. All signs seemed to be pointing that I should trust him and see what he has to say. He escorted us across the room and back into the elevator. I hoped my hand didn't feel to sweaty in his. I tried to ignore the stares as we made our way across the floor, but I caught sight of Cal and he had a puddle of liquid at his feet. I guess he dropped his drink again.

A/N: Thanks for all the review love! This is the extra post as promised. I have to admit I hadn't original planned this chapter. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I hadn't really figured out the way I wanted Steph to realize what was going on fully…..she can be a little slow sometimes. In true Stephanie fashion she opened a can of worms. Don't worry I can't write serious psychopath stories- nothing bad will happen. For those that have asked, I am trying to work in a Ranger POV. Hopefully it will come together in the next couple of chapters.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I am going to go out on a limp and say this is probably the chapter you have all been waiting for and the longest to date. Your welcome! I had a terrible week with a on and off sick 18 month old who doesn't want any attention from Dad. All mommy all week! Since I am home from work today with him, I figure I will give it to you a few hours early. Don't hate be, but if you don't see a chapter next weekend it is not on purpose. It's because I still couldn't get any mommy time for myself. As always all characters belong to JE, I am just borrowing them. All mistakes are mine, please forgive me.

Chapter 11- Still Tuesday-End of April/Beginning of May- 1 week till event

We stood side by side as we rode up. Up to where I wasn't sure of that. I was just going to add it to the list of things. At this point the only thing I was sure if was that I didn't want to let go of his hand. He skin was softer than most, but I could feel a callous on his finger tip as the brushed the back of my hand when we were walking. The warmth I felt in my hand from his was undeniable. He was what my mom described would happen all those years ago. I couldn't believe it. I was intimidated at the thought. Knowing what little I knew about his background and business, a relationship would never work out. He would get bored with me. He had been around the world, no way would he settle for a plain Jane from New Jersey.

The elevator doors opened and he stepped forward still holding my hand. He let go to retrieve a keychain from his pocket. He clicked a few buttons and the door opened. He turned and mentioned for me to step inside while he spoke, "Ladies first."

I stepped inside slowly, not really sure of where I was. The entry way opened to living space. I didn't know whose apartment I was an intruder to but the place was beautiful. To the left was the kitchen and dining area. To the right was a living room. I didn't see a bedroom but there were multiple closed doors. I heard keys clink into something hard as if being dropped. I turned around to see Ric flipping through a few pieces of mail and noticed the keys resting in a dish on the side board. Slowly it dawned on me this must be his personal space. I immediately felt intimidated again. "Make yourself at home, I am going to change." Ric walked through the living room and behind one of those closed doors.

I walked over to the window and looked out. We had to be near the top of the building, up six or seven stories. I could see the sun setting over the skyline. I glanced around the room taking all the furniture and design in. The apartment was amazing, professional designed. The tones were masculine, deep rich wood cabinetry and leather furniture. There was a distinct scent to the space. I couldn't place my finger on it, it definitely wasn't a commercial spray from a bottle. It was almost hypnotizing. I turned back to look out the window, I couldn't pull myself to sit on the couch. I was fearful I wouldn't want to leave it.

"Amazing isn't it?" I jumped at his softly spoken words. I hadn't even heard him coming.

"I have never seen a Trenton sunset like this. Usually the best ones are at the beach."

"You go to the beach often?"

"I would live there if I could, but winters in at the Point are not much fun. I go as much as I can in the summer. We usually rent a house and stay as together as a family over Fourth of July."

"It must be nice to get away like that."

"Yeah- by the end of the week I am ready to pull my hair out. My nieces are loud and crazy." I said back remembering last summer I swore to myself I was getting my own place. "So are you going to tell me what happened or keep distracting me with the sunset?"

We walked over to the couch. I sat down and he took up the oversized chair opposite of me. "Have you ever heard of the Mayans?" I shook my head no so he continued. "They are a Hispanic gang known for trafficking the coke supply in Trenton and Newark. You were hit by a new player in the trade. He was wanted on many levels for transporting and selling illegal firearms. He was just starting to work with the Mayans. RangeMan frequently provides services to bring in wanted criminals. Marty was our current problem. We have had surveillance on him for 2 weeks and haven't been able to pinpoint his location. You somehow, by an act of God or miracle, found him. Not only that, the van was full of his latest product samples."

I was in shock. I had no idea things like this went down. I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I didn't know what to say. I just sat there. Ric kept talking.

"TPD will be removing your name from any records. As far as the accident and ticket are concerned, they were issued to RangeMan. We will be changing all DMV records to show the car was a RangeMan vehicle. I can loan you a vehicle until yours is cleaned and released. It should be a few weeks. I have a few guys watching to make sure on the street that you are not associated with this. These guys will be out for blood to find out who caused everything to be ruined."

I sat there for a few minutes, looking at Ric trying to read him. I didn't understand and couldn't figure out why he was doing all of this for me. He didn't really know anything about me. I tried to reason in my head, but couldn't come up with anything logical. I was getting ready to speak my mind when we were interrupted by an older woman.

"Tank said you were up here already, would you like me to leave dinner...oh, sorry. I didn't realize you had company." A small petite woman said. She looked a little started to see us after rounding the corner.

"In the kitchen is fine Ella, thanks." Ranger replied. She bid her farewell and left us alone again. "Do you want to have dinner before your lesson?"

"I don't want you to go out of your way. You have already done enough." I was feeling slightly in debt to him as I really thought about everything he had done.

"It really isn't. Ella takes care of the building and my space. She is a great cook. I don't know what is on the menu tonight, but I am sure it will be good."

"Ok, lead the way." I wasn't really why I said that, we literally had to walk to the next room.

He pulled out a stool from the bar and I took a seat. I watched as he pulled plates and utensils from the cabinets. He laid it out in front of our seats. We split up the food and my body was buzzing. It could have been from this amazing meal or it could be from Ric. He brushed against my leg as he sat down or when he reached for the pepper I handed it to him and our hands touched. The power of his touch was undeniable. The man was like magic. We ate in companionable silence and made our way down to the range.

I stood and watched as Ric pulled a few hand guns from the cabinet and lined up extra clips. He moved like it was second nature. I am sure he has down this more times than the average person, he moved with such efficiency. It was intimidating. He was the expert, the professional. It was his business and I felt like I was going to make a fool of myself. He pulled a remote out of his pocket, clicked a few buttons and looked at me. "Are you ready?"

I stared back at him nervously. I was never going to be ready for this. "What was that remote for?"

"It will scramble the cameras. I figured after last week, you might want a little privacy and can relax better if you know everyone isn't watching upstairs."

"You really think they care that much about what is going on down here."

"I am going to be honest with you. I don't know why, but I feel like I have to tell you the truth. Believe it or not, you are the only female ever to enter this building for a non-business related matter. Let alone the fact that you you just had dinner in my personal apartment. So yes, they are more than interested in what is happening down here tonight for more reasons than if you can hit the target. Enough talking and delaying the inevitable, pick your poison." He switched tones as he was talking and back to business.

He had four guns lined up. I grabbed what looked like I used last week and put on my protective equipment. Ric signaled for me to step up to the lane and shoot. I hit the paper with seven of the shots, but only one of them would cause any damage to an assailant. Ric teased saying on a real man the injury would only require a bandaid. He had me go through two more clips before ending the torture. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hit the kill points on the targets...even if they were five feet or fifty feet away. Ric didn't say anything, he just quietly observed me. He took the gun I was using and switched it out for another slightly smaller one. He asked me to take my stance but not to shoot.

"You need to relax you shoulders. You're too tense to get off a good shot. Can I?" He asked before invading my personal space. I pulled my ear protection off slightly as we stood in the lane. He stood close behind, his chest practically pressing on every surface of my back, reaching around to hold my arms up. The heat between us was borderline unbearable. As he moved around my body adjusting my hands, elbows, arms, shoulders, hips, legs, knees and feet, every touch and adjustment reaffirmed my earlier revelations earlier tonight. I as much as I loved the way it felt, I needed to find a way to put a damper on it. All this hoping and dreaming would be useless because he wasn't going to be interested.

"I can feel the tension radiating off your body, you need to find something to focus on to keep it at bay. You will never have a chance of protecting yourself if in the heat of the moment with the adrenaline and emotions that are created if you can't find a neutral zone now." He was still standing behind me propping my arms at the right level, speaking into my uncovered ear. "Take a moment and try to find something. I am going to keep your arms up. You just focus on the target and trigger." I nodded and he pulled the ear protection back over.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I wasn't supposed to be able to hear anything. I could hear my heart beating, faster and louder than normal. I took a few slower deep breaths to try and even it out. As I breathed in, I was overwhelmed with a strong scent. It was similar to that of Ric's apartment, but stronger and even more intoxicating. I wasn't sure if it was cologne, aftershave or body wash. It was hypnotic. My mind drifted to fantasy land. Ric in the shower, the water so hot there was a swell of steam engulfing the room. He was covered in suds, the air had taken on his scent. I was pulled into the shower by a strong wet arm. He reached for the loofa and began running it over the swell of my breast and down my back, cupping my ass in his strong hands.

"Not bad, but next time I recommend shooting with your eyes open." Ric spoke from behind me, he was a few feet away pushing the button to pull my target in. I looked as it approached and all of my shots made it into the chest area. I was caught off guard. I had been so lost in my fantasy I didn't realize I unloaded the whole clip. Ric reset the target and clip. I repositioned myself and turned back towards Ric. "Does this look right?" I asked. He came up behind me and twisted my hips ever so slightly. His right hand rested on my hip. One finger was noticeably touching my skin. He held my hip while tweaking my foot placement slightly. As his hand shifted with the movements I let out an involuntary shudder. I prayed he would ignore and not ask about it. He replaced my ear protection, which required him to pull my hair out of the way. His left hand grazed across my shoulder and neck. I gripped the gun harder trying to control my body's reaction.

I closed my eyes, taking a few slow deep breaths, inhaling Ric's intoxicating aroma. I took aim and pulled the trigger. Slowly each round hit the target. Ric slowly moved back, allowing me to have full control. My shots were not as perfect, but still close enough to be near fatal. We repeated the process three more times. Each time I would try to set myself up, but Ric would find something that needed to be tweaked. I was in desperate need of release when I got home tonight.

"Alright I think you have suffered enough for one night." Ric said after unloading the gun and double checking the chamber was clear. I was standing next to him admiring my paper men. "Will you be offended if I say you were better than I expected?" He asked me with a half-smile.

I wasn't, but I wasn't going to let him off easy. "Will you be offended if I ask why you told me to call you Ranger earlier?"

"If you want the answer to that, it's going to cost you."

"What's the price?" I was feeling brave and flirty with him. My mouth was running before my brain had a chance to catch up.

"Have dinner with me again?" He said in a tone mixed of part question and statement, almost as if he was nervous or unsure of himself.

"Does it include dessert?" I asked, trying to keep my face void of any emotions. I wasn't going to give anything away until I was sure of his intentions. Besides woman run a fine line of appearing normal and obsessive when it we have a date, let alone a first date.

"Is that the only way I can get you to agree?"

"It is the only way to guarantee a good end to the evening."

Ric closed the gap between us, cupping my face between his hands. I was caught off guard by his actions. I stood there just trying to keep by breathing under control. "I have another idea." He whispered into my ear. He placed three delicate kisses on my lips, before my brain and body caught up. I pushed him back slightly. In reality I didn't want to, but it was what I had to do.

I was feeling frustrated and angry. How dare he do that to me, but I didn't want him to stop? I wasn't just someone they could toy and play around with. He had the door open before I had my head together. I stormed over to him, "What the hell were you thinking?" I was trying really hard to keep my emotions under control.

"Clearly we got our signals crossed. Sorry, it won't happen again." He looked at me almost defeated and his eyes for the first time tonight gave away the slightest emotion. "We should probably get upstairs before the guys find a way to hack the cameras or place too many bets."

"What bets? Why are the guys taking bets on my lesson?" I was stumped. Last thing I needed to be was laughed at for the second time in one evening.

"Knowing my men, they are probably betting if there are any injuries, crying, blood, shifted clothing, yelling."

"Why would they care about my clothes?" I was stumped on that one. The other things I could see.

"They will be looking for signs of swollen lips, out of place hair, untucked shirt. They are probably convinced we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves."

"Oh." I was a little surprised that they thought I had a chance with him. "Are you in on the bets?"

"I wouldn't be a smart business man if I wasn't."

"How much is the pool?" If he was going to be gaining anything, then I was too.

"Probably at least $2k, maybe more since we were upstairs before coming down."

"We're splitting it." I said before I closed the space between us. His hands instantly gripped me tight against him, sliding down resting in the pockets of my jeans. The kiss started out slow, savoring the feeling of having man's lips on me. Our signals may not have been a crossed as he thought. One point for me! He trailed a row of kisses from my jaw to back of my ear. I tried to contain a shiver, but my body betrayed me. I could feel him chuckle and whisper, "You have a pretty good poker face Plum."

I don't know how long we stayed like that propped in the doorway making out like a couple of teenagers. If this man could have me this excited about just a kiss, who knew what he could do in the bedroom. It was going to be hard to resist and not cave on my three date rule, unless I counted this as number one.

Ric pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. He took a few slow deep breaths as if he was trying to center himself. He finally spoke, "We really should get upstairs, hopefully the garage cameras didn't pick up anything with the door open."

"You really have cameras everywhere, don't you?" He locked the door and pulled me along with him, placing his hand at the small of my back.

"Everywhere but personal space, but the hallway is monitored." He pointed at a few of them as we walked across the garage. I gave a finger wave to the camera as we entered the elevator.

We rode up in silence. I still couldn't believe what had happened. I really made out with the owner of the company. I swore to myself I wasn't going to cross the line and keep it professional until I got to jump. Way to go Plum! I glanced over at Ric, I noticed a stain of lip gloss on his lower lip. I opened my mouth to tell him, but when the doors of the elevator opened I was pulled out and my targets yanked from my hand.

"How did you do Beautiful?" Les asked as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning. He was unrolling the targets across a large table. Woody and a few others made their way over to look. "Damn Woman you are almost lethal. A few more lessons and you're going to be dangerous. Don't piss her off boys!" Les shouted to the group and they all laughed.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Somehow I was able to find a little bit of time and crank out a few words- not as many as I would have liked- something is better than nothing right? I am behind on responding and thanking everyone for their reviews, but I read and appreciate every single one. Especially when you have crappy weeks like the last two have been in over here. My birthday is Friday and my goal was to have it finished by then. I don't think it is going to happen It's all your fault though…a few times comments have lead me to add more and making it way longer than I planned originally. A blessing in disguise maybe.

Chapter 12- Still Tuesday-End of April/Beginning of May- 1 week till event

Les POV

I was just settling into my shift on monitors for the evening. It was going to be a long night. Woody was on shift with me, but so was our new guy D.T. That meant we had to be focused and on task. We had to show a good example to him. I heard a call go out over the scanners for an accident a few blocks down on Haywood. I didn't think anything of it and went back to monitoring the accounts. Shift change would be happening over the course of the next hour as people trickled in and out. It was a time when we were most vulnerable as no one was really in the field. I was showing D.T. how to adjust the monitors when I heard backup being called the scene of the Haywood accident. I turned the scanner up and heard Martin's name.

"Woody, call Ranger and Bobby. We need to get out there." Woody got to it and I yelled for Tank to get on the floor. I explained to him who was a few blocks away and he agreed to cover the monitors and let us head out.

We suited up and loaded in our SUVs to head to the scene. I was the first to pull up- I could have ran there just as quick. I quickly took in the scene, Marty was yelling and currently being pulled away from the other driver's car. Probably for the better, things could turn ugly when the police start to arrest him. Part of the reason I called for others to come to the scene. Ranger arrived a few minutes after Woody and I. I wasn't really interested in the other driver, until I recognized the familiar car and brown curls through the window. _Shit!_ Of all people to get caught up in what is sure to be a cluster fuck. I signaled over to Ranger and he quickly realized what I was thinking. He turned to talk to TPD and I would try and get Steph out of here as quickly as possible. No one needed to know who she was.

We made our way back to RangeMan. I was shocked when I saw Steph come off the elevator with Ranger and join us in the conference room. I said a prayer that the guys wouldn't harass me too much for details. I didn't want to be caught meddling in Ranger's business. Again. I was tasked with going over the accident with Carl and TPD. We needed to get Steph's name removed from all reports and change the DMV records. Not any east task for some, but between Tank and I it wouldn't take long.

There is always quiet chatter on the floor. However, today I was distracted from the immediate silence that fell over the floor. I looked up to see Ranger walking Steph to the elevator. Not only were they headed upstairs, but he was holding her hand. _Damn!_ I have never seen Ranger bring a woman into the building let alone show any regard to one in front of someone else. He had it bad, real bad. Tank and I completed our assignment and I was moved back to the monitors. I tried to check on Steph's lesson, but Ranger blocked the feeds. I headed towards the break room to grab a drink. I noticed Cal and a few guys huddled in the corner.

"What's up man?" I casually asked.

"Nothing, you want in on the action."

"What action?" I tried to play dumb. I knew what they are up to, but again I didn't want to piss Ranger off anymore. For once in my life, I was trying to take the high road.

"Ranger and Stephanie. We are trying to decide the odds against him making her cry or leaving without some undergarments. I think she may have already lost them upstairs." I shook my head.

"You're on your own with that." As I headed back to the monitors I heard Binkie throw in another two hundred. We get paid too much and have too much time on our hands.

I noticed the door open to the range on the garage monitors, but it took a few minutes before they walked through. I stood at the elevator waiting for the doors to open.

"How did you do Beautiful?" I asked her and unrolled the targets across the table. Woody got up and looked them over. "Damn Woman you are almost lethal. A few more lessons and you're going to be dangerous. Don't piss her off boys!"

I heard a few of the guys laugh and throw Steph some congratulations. I really was blown away by her shots. I thought she did pretty good with Woody, but this was amazing. I couldn't even shoot this good after finishing my basic training when I entered the Army. I waited until Ranger left to find Tank before I pressed Steph for too many details.

"So how was it? I hope Ranger wasn't too intense. He takes certain things a little too seriously." I really was interested in how he treated her and acted. I didn't care on a personal level, but I could tell they both were interested in each other.

"It went pretty good. I don't know what would happen if I was really in a situation where I needed to protect myself, but he got me to focus pretty well. I was surprised how good I did." I caught Steph's eye following Ranger into his office and closing the door with Tank.

"We are going out to celebrate when I get off this rotation. Saturday night. Call your girl friends to meet us too." She seemed to think about it for a few minutes before agreeing.

"Only if you show me how to do that dance again. I really think I can get it this time." I agreed and rolled up her targets. Ranger had finished up with Tank and was coming over. I caught a slight sheen of lip gloss on his face. Hopefully no one else had noticed it, but we were trained to notice everything. Steph and Ranger walked away towards his office.

Steph POV

I was proud of what I accomplished, but I didn't know how to take all the compliments the guys were giving me. I reluctantly agreed to go out with the guys again. I was definitely crossing the boundaries I set for myself earlier again. I watched Ric walk off to speak with someone. I hoped he wasn't gone too long for a number of reasons. First, I wasn't sure how I was getting home. It was getting pretty late and didn't want to get caught yawning. Second, I didn't want to be quizzed by anyone on what happened. I wasn't sure if anyone else saw the lip gloss. With my luck no amount of Hail Mary's would stop at least one person from noticing it. My only chance of not being embarrassed is that they saved any harassment directly for Ric and not me. Lastly, if I was going out on Saturday I had to figure out if he was going to be there. If he was, I needed to be prepared and there was a full list of pampering that needed to be done between now and then.

I watched Ric leave the office and scan the room looking for me. We made eye contact and he smiled slightly, like he was relieved I was still here. Clearly he didn't know me very well, I wasn't about to run home. We said bye to the guys and a few more confirmed they would be there Saturday. Ric tugged on my hand, so I followed his lead into another office. I stood there unsure of where he wanted to sit. There was a large wooden desk with two chairs in front of it and a leather couch off to one wall. Ric reached into a desk drawer, walked around to the front of it and leaned against it.

"You're not going to be all shy and quiet now are you?" Ric asked as I just stood there.

"This isn't like the awkward morning after when you try to figure out to sneak out, leave your number or stay for breakfast." God forgive me for my brain and mouth not being attached.

"Nope definitely not- especially when you don't have any wheels to get your home." Ric was dangling a set of keys in front of him. I took a few steps forward and took them from his hands. I looked them over and they defiantly were not my keys. "Those are for one of my cars downstairs. You can borrow it for a few days until we figure out what to do with yours."

"I didn't think you were serious earlier. You're really just going to let a stranger have a car."

"Yes, but I don't generally make out with strangers so I think your statement is not accurate. It is a safety measure that needs to be taken. Don't worry, I have another one I can drive. I don't usually drive this one. It could use a few miles on it." Ric really seemed sincere in his explanation. I wouldn't normally take a hand out from someone, but I found it hard to say to no to him. I also didn't know anyone else with a car to spare. I decided to change the subject.

"Thanks for dinner and the lesson tonight."

"Da nada." We stared at each other for a few minutes. I know there was more I wanted to say, but I think I had enough confessions for one night.

"I should get going. Early meeting tomorrow."

"Yeah I have a surveillance shift with Tank soon. I need to head out." I turned and walked away before I did anything else stupid tonight.

I tossed and turned all night as my mind try to process everything that happened. I couldn't believe that all my 'neck' problems lately were what my mom said was fate and destiny point out the obvious. Could it be with a more gorgeous, intimidating, sexy, scary, mysterious man? I hardly knew anything about him, but my body was telling me he was the one. I needed to be careful and proceed with caution. There was a good chance that he wasn't interested in me let alone some sort of relationship. He did ask me to have dinner with him, but his interest could be purely physical or as he said himself a bet. I could be a notch on his pole or just another conquest. Maybe all the guys there are seeing if they can get me in bed. I really am out of their leagues, especially Ric's. I was going to need to play this very cautiously. Their company plane was set to arrive on Friday. They were also bringing some supplies out this week. Maybe I could try and get some info out of Les or one of the others. I didn't think asking any of my questions directly to Ric would get me what I wanted to know. It was the best plan I had, so I was going to roll with it.


End file.
